A Soul's Path
by Some Random
Summary: It's not unusual to believe that you're the only one, the only one like you. But when Ichigo discovers another shinigami with a "split personality" problem and many others he feels the need to protect them as afterall he's just like them...OCxIchigo
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN – Bleach, any movies/TV shows/books/songs etc used in this

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN – Bleach, any movies/TV shows/books/songs etc used in this...**

**I DO OWN – My OC's and some**** of the plot of this story...I think...**

**Warning: Contains spoilers!**

**Chapter One – Introductions...**

Silver eyes watched over the cemetery, watching carefully for any sign of movement, anything to show someone else was there. The black shadow that the eyes belonged to then moved, quicker then the eye could track to another part of the cemetery, alighting a gravestone, crouching down upon it. A roar then disturbed the silence cloaking the graveyard. As they got to their feet, the moon then moved out from behind the clouds, shining down over the shadow on the gravestone. A raven-haired teenage girl in black robes stood where the shadow had been, one pale-skinned hand resting on the hilt of a sword. Then the darkness returned as the clouds covered the moon again, making the brilliant silver of the girl's eyes seem dull grey. Then she moved again, off that gravestone in the direction of the roar. She moved through the trees, focusing ahead until she sensed the other presence and stopped. Whoever it was, was close by. Footsteps echoed below her and she crouched down in the tree, hiding out of sight. A flash of orange went past the trees, orange hair. Another roar echoed in the air, closer now, yet she couldn't move, couldn't reveal her presence. She was already hiding her reistu as best as possible from others, something she'd learned to do for sometime now. She could sense the reistu in the individual below, strong enough to draw her attention. She wasn't dealing with a human here, from the strength of the reistu she was probably dealing with a shinigami. Her heart seemed to stop dead, as she kept as still as possible. If they found her now...she shook her head, getting rid of that thought.

One last roar and the presence of the Hollow was upon them, her and the orange haired individual below. Yet, she didn't move, to claim her kill. She couldn't be seen, couldn't be sensed by the other below. She'd spent this long in hiding and wasn't going to be found out yet.

The howling echoing in her mind she ignored when the Hollow vanished as it was killed by the individual below. Yet it didn't stop, the dark, illicit whispers of death, of killing the person below, for reasons she couldn't care to listen to.

'_Stop it...' _Then she fell, her foot slipping as she tried to find a more suitable footing. Luckily, she avoided serious harm to herself from the fall, but the noise she made was regrettable.

"What?" Ichigo said at the noise, turning in the direction of it. He moved closer and then whatever had made the noise sprung from the grass beneath the tree and bolted into the forest.

"Hey! Come back here!" He'd known it had been a person not an animal, as animals didn't wear sandals. Or had swords. And from that and the speed at which they had left the area, he guessed it was a shinigami. He had to shunpo after them, to keep up.

"Come back here!" He shouted after them, wondering who the hell it was out here, when he'd believed he'd been the only one.

The shouting made her move faster, but it just kept coming. The shouts she could hear outside from the orange haired young man pursuing her and the shouting inside of death and bloodshed.

She could feel the mask against her chest, hidden within her robes, a constant reminder of what resided inside of her. But right now, she needed to lose her pursuer.

What she didn't expect though was a tree root sticking out of the ground in front of her, to hook her foot as she tried to jump over it and to crash down onto the ground again. As she got up, she could hear the sarcastic comments inside her mind and footsteps coming closer. He mustn't see her face, otherwise if he was a shinigami he'd recognise her, and he'd be able to recognise her later. Fear was evident in her eyes, as she didn't want her time in hiding to end yet. She looked in front of her, and saw the white mask lying on the ground near her. She had once chance...and she hoped she wouldn't regret it...

Ichigo came to a stop when he saw the person he'd been chasing in front of him, getting to their feet. Then he saw the mask, the white mask they then placed on their face, after speaking something to themselves so quietly he could only see their lips moving.

"_Help me escape..."_ He swallowed and held Zangetsu tightly in his hand before speaking.

"Who are you?"

The question the young man asked was simple, yet his tone demanded an answer. Yet, it wasn't her choice to answer anymore...she didn't want to answer...it didn't want to answer.

"I'll ask again. Who are you?"

Ichigo then saw the figure turn, to look at him, their menacing yellow eyes shining out of the mask on their face. The mask of a Hollow. Red and black designs swirled on the white mask, a fitting contrast, with the normal large grin of teeth where the mouth should be like on most Hollow masks. Yet he couldn't help but feel surprised.

'_What? A hollow shinigami? Another one?' _he thought.

"Who are you?" The voice that came from their mouth sounded creepy, hollow and almost detached from them.

'_Couldn't hurt.' _"Kurosaki Ichigo."

That name made her think, not that she showed it. It wasn't her in control of her body anymore. She'd asked for it to help her escape and it would do just that. Not without some fun first.

The smirk he could see on their face seemed proud and dangerous.

"And you are?" He asked them, thinking it would be fair game now.

"Sarokai Arianna." She said simply, drawing her zanpaktō.

Ichigo shifted Zangetsu in his hands, ready to intercept an attack. He could feel the reistu of this Arianna strongly now, when he'd felt only a little earlier. Back then, he'd only felt an amount you'd expect a 3rd seat in a squad of the Gotei 13 to have...well, possibly apart from the 11th squad. The heightening of reistu was obviously due to the Hollow. He just hoped he wouldn't have to kill them, so maybe he could learn more as to why they were here exactly. No, she. Why she was here, why Arianna was here. He knew it had something to do with that Hollow side of hers, obviously, but exactly what, he did not know.

"I thought you wanted to escape." he said, remembering what she'd said before putting on the mask. The Hollow side just laughed, that eerie unnatural laughter of a Hollow.

"You amuse me." it said, its yellow eyes flashing dangerously, "She's the one that wants to escape. Not me." The grin on their face, partly from the mask showed him just how much sanity this Hollow had. But what intrigued him was the way the mouth area moved as she spoke, the teeth parting and the mouth moving like it should as it formed words. A long, snakelike tongue flicked out from the mouthpart of the mask, running itself over the upper set of teeth before disappearing back into her mouth.

"I suppose then, you want to fight me." He simply stated, and her yellow eyes flashed again.

"Not fight, but kill."

"Why?"

"She's afraid. Afraid you'll recognize her and turn her in to the Gotei 13. I thought that maybe, I could lessen her fear." The grin stayed on her face, and it wasn't a welcome sight.

"So she's afraid of revealing her identity and yet you told me her name." The two of them had begun circling each other, zanpaktō's at the ready. At his comment, the Hollow seemed to falter in their step for a second before recovering. Ichigo guessed that gesture was from the original occupant of that body, Arianna.

"Also, you say her name and I show no recognition of it." He guessed that if he'd been looking at Arianna's face, he would have seen an eyebrow rise in response to his comment. He could guess as much from what she said next.

"You are a shinigami, no?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Then you should know of her."

"Well, technically, my time as a shinigami hasn't been long, so your comment makes no sense. Who is Arianna Sarokai?"

"Me."

And then she attacked. There was a clash of metal on metal as her zanpakto connected with his, with force intending the strike to be a killing blow had he not blocked it. But sword fighting was no biggie for Ichigo. He kept blocking the strikes from the Hollow, but some of them barely. The speed at which she was moving was incredible, but only a fraction of the speed he had once he'd released his Bankai. Even so...it was a decent sized fraction. And she hadn't bothered to release her zanpakto's shikai yet. After another strike was blocked, the Hollow jumped back, landing a couple of feet away in a tree.

"You fight me with a sealed zanpakto." he said, keeping himself ready should she attack again.

"Correct. I do, don't I?"

"How about releasing it?" The Hollow laughed at him.

"Your's is in its released state, no?"

"Why?"

"I can tell."

"Zangetsu is always in its released state."

"I see." The Hollow crouched down on her perch, her yellow eyes watching him carefully.

"What rank are you?" she then asked.

"Huh? What rank?" The Hollow rolled their eyes beneath the mask...if that was possible.

"Lieutenant, 3rd seat, 4th seat..."

"For a Hollow that wants to kill me, you ask a lot of questions."

"Just answer me, will you? What rank are you?"

"I have no rank." If it was possible, he guessed her brow was furrowed from the confused look he saw in her eyes.

"A rogue then?"

"Not quite. Soul Society owes me." Fear then flashed in the Hollow's eyes, whose yellow eyes seemed to dull to almost silver before returning to yellow again, with black where the whites should be.

'_Now that...'_ Ichigo thought, _'Must have been Arianna...she doesn't control her Hollow much does she?'_

"_Let's get out of here." _The nervous voice spoke in its mind, of the one that had released it.

"_Not until I kill him." _Was the hissed thought spoken reply.

"_I said to help me escape! Not to fight him! Can't you listen to me?"_

"_I'm doing just what you asked. You said help me escape. And I am. With him dead, we can leave here safely."_

"_But...but..."_

"_No buts! Now be quiet and leave me in peace!!" _Ichigo watched the Hollow curiously. For a moment, her head was turned to the side as if looking towards some beside her. Almost as if, she was discussing something with...Arianna. It seemed the girl didn't want to kill him, but wanted to just run and hide. The name Airanna Sarokai was unfamiliar to him though. He hadn't had much to do with Soul Society for a little while now. All he knew was of a new 5th squad captain, but that wasn't an Arianna Sarokai. No, that was a different, older woman. This Arianna was a lot younger, but older them him obviously.

"Well, maybe to make this more challenging, you could release that damn zanpakto of yours. Or make things fairer. Your choice." Ichigo knew that Rukia would say that saying things like that would get him into trouble, but he couldn't care right now. Maybe he could help the young soul trapped by that Hollow.

"Yes, I could, couldn't I? But I wouldn't know anything fairness though."

"What?"

But the Hollow didn't answer. She just stood there for a moment, before she moved her or should he say, Arianna's zanpakto so its point was facing to her right, dead straight, making a 90° angle with her body. Her arm was stretched out in the same direction of the zanpakto, her head bowed as she spoke the words to release her zanpakto.

"Strike Moeagatteimasu Hebi." The moment those words passed her lips, fire appeared at the hilt of the sword, before shooting down the sword, the head of it looking like that of a serpent as it twisted into the air slightly, like a snake poising to strike. Once the fire had dissipated, he looked at her released zanpakto and raised an eyebrow. For half a second, he thought it was Zabimaru, but realised that it wasn't. The blade was long and in a similar style to Renji's zanpakto, but instead of several blades coming out of the main blade horizontally, there were only two, right at the end that looked like they might be like the fangs on a snake. There was no guard above the hilt, which was now curved slightly. The edge looked like gold when it shone in the moonlight that filtered down through the trees. The tree that she now resided in seemed out of the light, and the only thing he could see was the light reflecting of her zanpakto and the glow of her yellow eyes through the mask. He could only see the outline of the mask itself and this made him tighten his grip on Zangetsu. He just hoped he could get out what he'd now gotten himself into.

"Like it?" the Hollow hissed, hidden in the dark. Ichigo just shrugged.

"It's a zanpakto, in shikai form. I've seen another like it." The Hollow's eyes flashed dangerously.

"What?"

"Abarai Renji and his zanpakto, Zabimaru. I'm sure you've heard of him, lieutenant of the 6th squad. Yours and his look pretty much the same. And if I'm right, they work the same way." The Hollow's grip tightened on the zanpakto, the grin gone from its face, replaced with fury.

"Problem?" Ichigo said, smirking.

"WE ARE NOT THE SAME!!" she suddenly screamed and he just managed to brace himself as she sent the zanpakto straight at him, with the blade extending much like Renji's. He blocked it, sending it away, but it came straight back...again, and again and again and again and then a final time before she drew it back to her. He watched it go back, expecting it to slide back into place and become more swordlike again. But it did no such thing. Her wrist twisted round and round as she spun the zanpakto beside her in circles, like one could do with a lasso.

"Huh?" he said, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"You see. That fool Abarai's zanpakto and mine look similar but that's only as the spirits of them share one common feature. Snakes." Ichigo had only seen Renji's zanpakto spirit once, when he was training to achieve bankai and it looked like a baboon with a snake as a tail. He wondered what her zanpakto's spirit was if both shared the common feature of snakes. Maybe since the name of it was Moeagatteimasu Hebi and that meant Flaming Serpent, it must be that of a snake.

'_So, her __zanpakto is more like a whip or lasso and doesn't withdraw like Renji's. Unless it does, but much later. I'll just have to keep an eye out.' _He mentally sighed, _'This is gonna be harder then I originally thought.'_

He looked up when he heard Hollow Arianna speaking again.

"So now, Kurosaki Ichigo," The crazed, dangerous grin returned, malice and bloodlust in those yellow eyes. "you die." With a flick of the wrist, her zanpakto was sent at him again and he moved to side to dodge it, and it hit the ground instead. He blocked the next hit from it and sent it flying away. He smirked as he saw it withdraw back, resuming its original form. This was his chance. He charged at her, leaping into the air as her zanpakto withdrew. He brought Zangetsu down, to slice into her shoulder...and she moved. Stunned, he didn't notice her zanpakto finish sliding back into place and turned his head to see her smirk and bring the end of the blade down, the metal biting deeply into his shoulder. With a cry he fell back, the blade wrenched free from his shoulder and he managed to land safely on the ground, blood streaming from the wound on his shoulder. She jumped down from the tree, her shinigami robes billowing around her before she landed, zanpakto beside her.

"Guess you underestimated me. Kurosaki." The deadly look, that look of pure confidence, seeing it made anger bubble up inside him.

"_This one needs to be taught a lesson Kurosaki...__we're just the ones to teach it..." _He pushed the voice away and charged at her again, blocking her as she attempted to slash at him while he came at her. She managed to catch his blade between the two prongs on the end of her blade, stopping his strike and he withdrew his blade before striking again. The two battled back and forth, offensive to defensive, defensive to offensive, stuck in a constant rhythm of blocking and attacking each other.

Then they stopped, both a couple of steps away from each other, both panting from exhaustion, both with various nicks and cuts on their bodies from unsuccessfully blocked attacks. Neither was ready to give up, with Ichigo ignoring the screams of the Hollow inside him and Hollow Arianna ignoring the screams of the real Arianna to stop this worthless fight and run away, retreat to fight another day.

"_Leave it! He's not worth all this trouble! Just leave now!!"_

"_**NEVER!!**__"_

With that cry in her mind, the Hollow attacked, snapping her zanpakto back and then shooting it forward to attack him. Ichigo dodged and weaved the incoming attacks, as it came at him repeatedly.

"_Find a weak spot Ichigo, and I will finish this..."_ The voice he heard was not that of the Hollow within but of Zangetsu.

"_Don't worry." _he replied, _"I will."_

He gritted his teeth together as he blocked another strike and calmly focused on his enemy.

'_I'm sorry for this Arianna...whoever you are...'_

He then started fighting back, forcing her back, making her unable to use the special ability of her released zanpakto and forcing her to keep it swordlike to intercept his strikes, which were coming at her faster and faster.

'_Damn you Kurosaki!!'_

And then she misjudged one of his attacks, which made her movements too sloppy and he got the weakness he needed. He swung Zangetsu upwards, slashing diagonally across her front, and his hand, curled around the hilt of Zangetsu, hit her mask knocking it askew on her face. The malice-filled eyes, shone through titled eyeholes, only part of the eyes showing. He managed to get another hit to the mask, almost knocking it off, before she began hitting back, obviously furious. It seemed the Hollow wasn't taking much notice to the damage to its body; the slash he'd delivered it earlier was bleeding, staining the front of her shinigami robes with a deep red. Their swords then connected, and they were so close they were almost face-to-face.

"Give up and maybe I'll spare you." he said to them, in a hope that in the depths of her mind, Arianna would hear him, and come to her senses.

"Never..." was the hissed reply back, and she slid his sword along hers, so it was caught between the two prongs at the end again. She used this to then flick his sword away, something he didn't expect. As her blade swung across to slash him across the stomach, he grabbed the cord at the end of Zangetsu and pulled. The blade came flying back to him, slicing across between them, almost hitting the Hollow, who had jumped back just in time.

He brought Zangetsu back to his hand, held it in front of him and cocked his head, waiting for her to attack again. She stood opposite him, her head bowed and her shoulders heaving as she drew air into her lungs, panting heavily with exhaustion. They had been fighting for sometime now, and both were showing signs of fatigue, hers in some cases more obvious then his own. His chest heaved, drawing air in himself. It seemed this fight was continuing, until both or either of them collapsed.

The head rose, that same malice and fury in those yellow eyes, the mask on their face still askew.

Her arm moved and he jumped aside to dodge her zanpakto as it shot out at him once again, but wasn't so lucky dodging it as it curved back at him, the edge nicking his side. With fatigue, his movements were growing slower, and he hoped that the fight wouldn't go on much longer otherwise he won't have been as lucky as he had been. Her zanpakto swiped through in front of him, and he brought up the flat edge of Zangetsu to block it and it raked across the blade instead of his front. He then heard the laughter of the Hollow, as it brought the blade back again, pushing him back, forcing him to keep dodging and blocking her attacks, which were now coming from all sides. The zanpakto would come from one direction then curve back, before curving again and finally going back to come at him again from another direction. The next time it came at him, he sliced at it, knocking it back so he could have a clear shot at her. She barely managed to bring her zanpakto back to stop him, by swiping it through between them again, to stop him in his tracks. She circled the long extended blade above her head, her breathing in short ragged gasps.

"_Get out of here! Leave this for another day..."_

"_No..."_

"_You're fucking bleeding! He's wounded you! GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE BEFORE HE KILLS US!!"_

"_He's weakened...__"_

"_I don't care! Just stop!"_

"_You never learn..."_

And then that Kurosaki kid was talking to her again, so she pushed the protests in her mind aside.

"Stand down." He said, "It didn't have to be this way."

"Didn't have to be." she hissed back, "But it just is..." And then she brought the zanpakto circling above her head down, her arm moving like she was cracking a whip and he brought his blade up once again to divert it from him. Then he charged forward and she swung it at him again, but he batted it away again, and then another time and this cycle kept repeating as he gained ground and she became more and more desperate to keep him at bay. Then he was upon her, sword slashing through the air, the screams of the girl echoing inside of her mind. It nicked the side of her face as it swiped across the mask, through it and she could feel it cutting into her cheek on the same side it nicked and she fell back, on her arse on the ground, her control fading.

The mask clattered to the ground, the white inside of it stained with red, from blood. He brought Zangetsu down to rest by his side and looked down at her sitting on the ground, her robes stained with blood and dirt. The moonlight filtered through the trees, reflecting of their blades, his beside him and hers on the ground near her.

It took her but a second to realise what had occurred, before she'd grabbed her zanpakto and the cracked, split Hollow mask and bolted, running away as fast as she could, her black hair fanning out behind her.

He let her leave and then collapsed to his knees in the dirt, Zangetsu stabbed into the dirt beside him. He stared into the distance, watching her become nothing more then a silhouette in the moonlight filtering through the trees, the reflection of her zanpakto soon disappearing as she too disappeared into the darkness. He heard two sets of the footsteps behind him and then a gasp he guessed was from Rukia when she saw the damage done to his body, especially the nice gash in his back when he didn't deflect one of the back strikes as well as he should have had.  
"What the hell happened to you!" she shrieked, before her tone then softened, "Was it the Hollow?" "No."

"Then what was it?"

"Something else."

"Something else? An Arrancar?" He shook his head. He slowly rose to his feet, using Zangetsu to support him, his gaze still fixed in the direction she had left, as if he could still see her, running through the trees, her bloodstained robes whipping about in the wind, her silver eyes wide with fear. Rukia's gaze drifted in the same direction as his, as if she was hoping to catch a glimpse of what he had been looking at. There was short flash in the distance, which caught her attention and his, but only he knew what had caused it.

"A Hollow shinigami." He didn't even turn to see the look Rukia was giving him; he just continued staring into the forest.

'_Fight it Arianna...I just hope that you'll no longer live in fear...for whatever reason you fear shinigami and Soul Society for...'_

**Some Random: Well, that's the first chappie****, I hope you enjoyed it. And yes, you will find out who that new 5th squad captain that Ichigo was talking about is soon, possibly next chapter if I'm correct. I'd really appreciate reviews so I know what people thought about it...hopefully it's not too bad. And I must confess...I'm not exactly the most informed Bleach person, my friend's watched further ahead then I have, but I've read a few things (which I possibly shouldn't have) and yeah, but it didn't spoil anything...**

**And Hollow shinigami may or may not be the right classification but it's the one I'm using for this fanfic, so don't flame me about it!!**

**Anyway...PLEASE REVIEW!! (puppy dog eyes) pretty please...**

**Translation for the name of Arianna's zanpakto:**

**Moeagatteimasu Hebi - Flaming Serpent**

**Hopefully that is right, it was according to the translator thingy I used…don't flame me about it please!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN – Bleach, any movies/TV shows/books/songs etc used in this...**

**I DO OWN – My OC's and some of the plot of this story...I think...**

**Warning: Contains spoilers!**

**Chapter Two – Soul Society...and an Unexpected Guest...**

"Damn it Ichigo! They need to know! If there's a Hollow shinigami on the loose, we need to find them before Aizen does!" Rukia shouted at Ichigo, casting her hands into the air.

"It'll do no good!" Ichigo shouted back, from his position on the couch. The two were at the Kurosaki house, and it was safe to talk about these things as both Ichigo's sisters and his father weren't present in the house. It had been a few days since the incident with Arianna and Rukia had been insisting he inform Soul Society about it, something he was refusing to do.

"Why? Why not?"

"Because it'll make that...thing, inside of her talk her into distancing herself further from everyone!"

"You're not making sense Ichigo!"

"I'm not making sense?" Ichigo got to his feet, towering over a frustrated looking Rukia, standing with her hands on her hips.

"It makes perfect sense!"

"How?"

"She ran out on Soul Society, and has been hiding from them since. She only fought me as she thought I would recognize her and alert them to her presence in this area. So she allowed that, _thing_, inside of her to take over, to help her escape. Yet it didn't want to escape, it wanted to fight me instead. The Hollow told me her name and when I showed no recognition of it, I'm sure she believed I had no idea who she was. She'll think I was lying and was trying to trap her if we tell Soul Society where she is and they find her."

"I still think we should tell Soul Society." Ichigo growled in frustration at her and threw his hands into the air.

"You're not listening to me!"  
"I am listening to you! And now I'm telling you what I think about it."

"Well here's what I think."

"Yes?"

"We're not telling them, no way in hell. I think there's more to this then you think."

"Well, it's too late anyway."

"What?" Ichigo's surprise was momentary, before his expression darkened.

"You've already told them, haven't you?" he growled, "This discussion meant nothing, didn't it? I can't believe we were even talking about this when you've already told them."

"Actually..." Rukia said, turning her back to him, "I told them that we needed to see them about something important that occurred here in the living world, that's it." The growl that came from Ichigo was low and angry, he wasn't happy with her at this moment.

"It'll be for the best. They can find her before Aizen and deal with her in whatever means necessary."

"Whatever means necessary!?" He shouted at her, "They'll probably hand her over to fucking Mayuri to study! Or kill her, just so Aizen can't get his hands on her permanently!" he paused for a moment, keeping his temper in check, barely, "It's not fair."

"So, is it fairer that Aizen gets his hands on her and converts her to his side then, is it?" Rukia snapped, "Remember, she's on the run from Soul Society, with a Hollow rampant inside her. All he has to do is sweet talk both of them into joining him and it's over. What she is, it's what he's seeking to become. He'll use any means necessary in obtaining that which he's seeking from her." she paused, "I think Soul Society is a better choice." Ichigo growled again.

"I guess." he reluctantly agreed with her.

"Good. You finally see sense." she took a few steps towards the door, "All that's left now is to see them."

"What?" Rukia poked her head back around the door.

"They're expecting us. It's best if we leave now." Ichigo was fuming as she left the room.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

**(Awww...Ichi cares for the poor misunderstood Hollow shinigami...that tried to kill him...)**

Sometime later...  
"We're here, because..." Ishida complained to Ichigo, who glared at him. The whole group were trudging through the streets of Soul Society, on their way to meet the Gotei 13 and discuss a certain Hollow shinigami.

"Don't ask me. Ask her." He gestured toward Rukia, who walked in front of the two of them.

"Now, now Kurosaki." came the voice of Yoruichi as she trotted along beside them in cat form, "Rukia was only doing what she thought was best." Ichigo growled, that's what Kuchiki always did.

"And besides..." Yoruichi added, "I agree with her." Ichigo glared at the cat that then trotted up ahead, to walk beside Rukia and Orhime. Yoruichi was only along for the ride as Urhara had sent her to keep an eye on Ichigo, so he didn't get into any trouble.

"He's still fuming." Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Can't he just let it go?"

"Seems not." added Orhime, "Kurosaki's stubborn like that."  
"But why? He's defending something that tried to kill him." Orhime shrugged.

"Yes, that is strange." Yoruichi said, "Very strange indeed."

"He said he's defending them because he wants to save them." Rukia said quietly. As they were a little distance ahead of the boys, she could talk about this safely.

"Really?" Orhime said, feeling curious.

"Save whoever it was from their Hollow no doubt." Yoruichi replied, before hopping up onto a nearby small wall to continue walking next to them. Rukia just nodded. The three of them walked in silence for a moment, before Yoruichi spoke again.

"Kurosaki usually has a reason for everything, whether we understand it or not. Something we're going to have to get used to." Orhime nodded as did Rukia, both rather solemnly. Silence then returned to three, not wanting to continue with the subject of conversation.

'_What happened Ichigo? If only I hadn't let you go on ahead to kill that Hollow, things would have happened differently...' _Then she shook her head. Sure, things would have been different, she would have seen the Hollow shinigami, but that wouldn't have changed anything no doubt. Ichigo had defeated shinigami of captain level but this one Hollow shinigami had gotten the better of him, she'd escaped. She stopped as the others did, when Yoruichi stated the obvious.

"We're here."

"Fine." Ichigo growled, "Let's just get this damn discussion over and done with. Then they can get to finding their new test subject." Before anyone could question his comment, he'd knocked on the door, announcing their presence. The door slid open and a voice told them to enter, which they did so, closing the door behind them. Inside stood the Gotei 13, with the exception of 1st squad captain Yamamoto, who was the only one seated.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. Kuchiki Rukia has told us about an incident that occurred to you in the living world." Yamamoto said, "An incident involving a Hollow shinigami. Would you care to elaborate?" Ichigo's teeth gritted together. Guess Kuchiki wanted him to tell them what happened. That was fine with him, maybe his opinion would be considered for once.

"I suppose."

"Then proceed Kurosaki."

"Well, uh..." Ichigo's hand rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his hair, "I suppose I'd just gotten rid of this Hollow and then there was this noise and something dropped out of a tree. Obviously, whoever it was had been watching me and when they ran off, I went after them." The group was silent, and Ichigo took that as a sign to continue.

'_I feel like an idiot doing this.'_

"To cut a long story short, I caught up with them, they placed some Hollow mask on their face, bringing out their Hollow side and then they attacked me. Both of us fought, I managed to skew up their mask a little, before knocking it off and then they ran off. Rukia then turned up and there you have it, end of story."

More silence.

"Often, short stories miss out important details, like identities. How can we pursue and find this person if we don't know who they are?" 2nd squad captain, Soi Fong spoke up.

"Exactly! How can I research a nameless individual!" 12th squad captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri protested, which received a few concerned looks from the group behind Ichigo.

"It's easier to determine how easy a search like this is if we have a name. Names link to people; people have different ways they act in certain situations. If we have a name, then it will help determine those reactions and determine the difficulty of the search." Said an unfamiliar voice, standing where one would expect the 5th squad captain to stand. Ichigo scanned the group of captains, finding the source of that voice and came to a stop on one. Long white hair, tied back in a long braid that fell down her back, with an ornate clasp at the end. Cold, piercing icy blue eyes, bored holes in him, a rather stern but neutral look on that pale face. The woman's mouth moved, as she spoke again.

"Or were you thinking of keeping that detail from us, Kurosaki?" A few locks of that white hair that weren't tied back in the braid hung over her face, and a look of confidence in her accusation evident on her face. Yoruichi, sitting on the floor near them, looked up at him.

"Kurosaki?" Ichigo didn't reply. Yoruichi rolled her eyes, something you normally wouldn't imagine a cat could do. She then turned to the captains.

"Our apologies, Kurosaki has been rather…difficult of late." _'Not to mention defensive…'_

"Difficult? Or just ignorant in the presence of a new face in authority?" the nameless squad captain remarked, the beginnings of a smirk coming to her face.

"Kurosaki and friends. It seems we must have neglected to introduce you to the new 5th squad captain." Said Yamamoto.  
"I see." Ichigo replied, looking at Aizen's replacement.

"Captain Serephia Yulrik, this is Ichigo Kurosaki. A trusted ally to Soul Society."

'_Fine. Neglect to mention that I helped save your sorry hides….' _Ichigo thought grudgingly. Serephia said nothing in comment to that, and Ichigo guessed that Yamamoto thought he didn't need to introduce her further, as the introductions seemed summed up in that one earlier sentence.

'_I wonder what kind of person they found as a replacement to Aizen…'_

"Now, we can get back to business." Said 4th squad captain, Unohana Retsu, "Kurosaki, the name of the Hollow shinigami please?" Ichigo sighed.

'_Let's just hope Arianna doesn't let her Hollow out to come and kill me again…'_

"Arianna Sarokai." The whole room was deathly silent. One thing Ichigo was pleased about was finally getting some sort of real reaction from that Serephia Yulrik woman, whose blue eyes seemed to show concern, even though the rest of her face was emotionless.

'_I guess our new captain knows of Arianna…'_

"Black hair, 'bout shoulder length, silver eyes, 'bout…this high…" he gestured some level of height next to him, which was close to his own, "some whacked out zanpakto shikai release that's similar to Abarai Renji's, looks rather skinny and dainty, yet moves real fast and is a lot stronger then she looks. Didn't see her face real well, as she had the mask on and I only managed to see her eyes once it had come off." The silence continued, no one said anything in comment to his description of Arianna.

"Is this some kind of stupid joke?" Serephia suddenly snapped. Ichigo found the woman's reaction strange and his expression showed his confusion.

"What?"

"Arianna Sarokai was the former 3rd seat in the 5th squad. Under my charge. And you're saying that…that…that thing that attacked you was her?" The woman's blue eyes had darkened in her anger, and she looked a whole heap more dangerous then she had before. All he'd thought of her before was of a cocky, arrogant, intellectual type. But now, he was thinking differently…

"Yes. She…well, the Hollow, told me itself her name."

"Lies! How do I even know how much of a "trusted ally" you really are!!" was the almost hissed reply and he saw one pale hand reach towards the hilt of the zanpakto that resided at her hip. At that gesture, one of his own hands began reaching towards Zangetsu, sheathed in cloth at his back.

"Captain Yulrik! Stand down!" The stern, commanding voice of Yamamoto cut through the tension between the two, as he addressed the enraged 5th squad captain, feeling quite disgusted at her behaviour. The hand that was reaching for her zanpakto dropped back to her side, and she seemed to calm down, yet the same venom was still evident in her eyes.

"My apologies Captain Yamamoto. It seems I got a little...carried away." She paused, "However...my mistrust in the boy, still stands. Arianna..." She cut off at that last thought, possibly preferring to keep that one to herself.

"Hold on here!" Ichigo shouted, "The rest of the Captains trust me, why can't you?"  
"Calm down Ichigo." Yoruichi said to him quietly, "Her reason for mistrust seems clear to everyone else."

"What?"  
"In her eyes, you accused one of her squad members as being a Hollow shinigami. Something that nobody understands about. Something that is perceived as an enemy."

"Three former squad captains are enemies, what does she see so wrong in me accusing her 3rd seat as being one?" Ichigo muttered.

"She, for starters, obviously knows Arianna a hell of a lot better then you do. You only just met the girl, you have no idea of what she's like, or what happened to her that made her now on the run." She paused, "Do you understand now?"

"I guess." Ichigo grudgingly muttered back.

"We need to track down the Hollow shinigami before she..." 7th squad Captain Komamura began, but when he saw the look that their new 5th squad captain was giving him, he changed part of what he was saying, "I mean, before they leave Karakura and it's harder to track them."

"Agreed." Captain Soi Fong replied, "I will send some a team from the Special Forces to start looking for her, "She dismissed the venomous look, "They'll be able to track down her whereabouts and we'll have no problem taking her in."

'_Take her in hey? So you can do lock her up, perform experiments or execute her for the "sake of Soul Society"…' _Ichigo thought angrily. If he was right in thinking, Arianna needed a chance to sort things out for herself with that Hollow of hers before anything else happened. She needed help, not imprisonment or death.

"Kurosaki." Ichigo's head stayed bowed even as the 1st squad captain addressed him.

"You will continue your duties as a shinigami in the living world. However…"

'_Here it comes…'_

"I suggest you let us handle the situation with the Hollow shinigami. It would be in your best interests."

"In my best interests..." Ichigo growled and Rukia opened her mouth to comment but he continued on ahead, "You don't know what my best interests are." He rose his head, a defiant scowl on his face.

"You don't even know what **her** best interests are. And I'm betting that they don't involve being found by the likes of you." And with that sentence, he stormed out, leaving a stunned silence in the room behind him.

'_They don't even care!' _He shouted inside his mind, glaring out into the distance, _'They have no idea what she's going through or her reasons for leaving. I'll give that Serephia woman some credit though...she seemed the only one that had some sort of __**real**__ reaction to all this. But then again, she's probably just afraid that it is her 3rd seat and wants nothing to do with it...'_

His hands clenched tightly on the railing he was leaning against, a physical sign of his anger.

'_If they knew about me...' _That thought however, was interrupted by footsteps behind him, which he guessed were that of his friends. But when he picked up that it was only one set, he guessed it was probably Rukia. When he didn't get hit about five seconds after the footsteps stopped, he knew it wasn't Rukia and turned to see who it was.

'_Great...it's her...' _That rather unfeeling looking mask that was her face and that stupid long braid. Captain Serephia Yulrik.

"Oh. It's you." He said, his tone holding a sharp edge from his anger.

"So that's the greeting I get." She replied, coldly, "Oh. It's you." She turned to face him, those blue eyes focused on him, "Oh. It's _you._" Ichigo scowled and turned away from her.

"A few months." He heard her say, "I only knew Arianna for a few months."

'_Like I care...'_

"I'd only recently managed to beat Lieutenant Hinamori to the position of Captain of 5th squad and all of a sudden I had a new 3rd seat on my hands. Yet, I watched over her, I held authority over her, like a captain should." There was a long pause and then her eyes and tone darkened.

"It can't be her. The Hollow shinigami is not Arianna Sarokai. Someone has taken her name and used it for their own gain."

"Hold on one damn minute there." Ichigo snapped, turning back to her, "How do you know it's not Arianna? How can you just assume it's somebody else, someone who has taken her name?"  
"Arianna, though strong and getting stronger, lacked confidence in her abilities. She lacked focus, she seemed to lack that killing instinct, lacked the ability to block out guilt in killing something. And fear, half the time, fear was what held back her true potential."

'_Fear...now that sounds familiar.'_

"I remember, only taking her to the living world twice, and on both occasions, I could see the look on her face when facing a Hollow. How she'd stand there for a moment, eyes closed to stop her fear and slay the beast. I remember how her eyes darted about, watching around her, showing her fear. And when she did, I could see that look in her eyes, a look of guilt...for a Hollow!"

'_It just shows she has a heart...even in her afterlife she cares...' _He could imagine that fearful look she'd have...he'd seen it before. He could imagine, as he closed in on her, those silver eyes darting about as she sort an escape, only to fall on that white mask ahead of her. He opened his mouth to speak, but then heard the sounds of his friends exiting the building behind him and Serephia. He straightened off the railing and walked a short way in their direction, his back to her.

"It was Arianna...whether you like it or not, it was her. That fearful look of hers...I've seen it." And with those words he left her behind, to join his friends.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

"Well, that went well." Rukia remarked sarcastically, once Ichigo had joined them. The ever present scowl on Ichigo's face deepened. The two were glaring at each other, the tension mounting.

"As well as expected." Yoruichi said, making both turn their heads in her direction, "All we have to do now, is wait and see what happens."

"Of course. Wait." Ichigo muttered to himself, "Not likely."

"What was that Ichigo?"

"Nothing." He replied, brushing her off. He ignored the sceptical look she was giving him, as they began walking, on their way out.

'_He's up to something...and he knows I know that, but isn't saying anything about that...' _she thought, _'Please don't do anything rash and stupid Ichigo...we don't need it...'_

The group continued walking, until they reached the portal and passed back into the living world. Not a word was said as they departed, apart from goodbyes. Ichigo headed home with Rukia, the two of them ignoring each other. Neither was happy with the other at the moment, annoyed at their behaviour.

Ichigo let her walk on ahead, and looked out into the streets, as if expecting to see a sword carrying shadow pass by, with even the possibility of a white mask seen with them. But why did he hope to see her again? So he could go behind Soul Society's back and warn her they were coming? So he could help her escape their notice? He felt like he should help her in any way he could. He'd seen the fear in her eyes when she was injured and vulnerable after fighting him, a 3rd seat against someone like him, who'd defeated captains. Sighing, Ichigo headed on inside, he had stuff to do for school tomorrow and he could think about their situation later.

The door clicked shut behind him and the street was silent, the only sort of movement and noise being that of the nearby street lamp flickering. A wind whistled through and another sound was heard in that street, that of rippling cloth as the wind moved it, hidden in the dark. Something shone at the wall near the house as the flickering light of the street lamp reflected off it. Then the light fizzed out, the power in it failing at last. And just after it had, the eyes of the shadow crouched on that nearby wall seemed to now almost glow in the dark. Two silver orbs, one of them half hidden by black thin strands of hair in front of it. Then the shadow disappeared from sight, running along the wall and over to the house, climbing up to the second floor and clinging to the gutter next to a window up there.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Rukia made her way upstairs, to see Ichigo when she felt it. That reistu close by, it wasn't Ichigo's. It felt lower, like that of a...3rd seat...

Realization dawning on her, she ran the rest of the way up the stairs and down the hall to Ichigo's room...hoping it wasn't too late.

Ichigo lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking. That was, until he heard something creak outside. He moved over to the window to open it and see what had made that noise, just as footsteps hurried down the hall. Just as he was opening the window, Rukia burst into the room.

"Don't open the window!" she shouted at him, taking him off guard, which made him push one window wide open.

"You idiot!" she screamed at him, running over to try and close the window, "Now she'll..." Her sentence was cut off as who she was trying to stop entered the room through the window, knocking her back as they swung through. Ichigo backed up a little, seeing the flash of a sword in their hand. Then he recognized them.

"Arianna?" She didn't even move or speak to confirm his suspicions, yet he knew it was her anyway. Rukia began to get to her feet, before she found the point of a zanpakto at her throat and she stopped.

"So, this is her I bet?" she snapped at Ichigo and she felt the sword point go closer. Ichigo wasn't listening.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Arianna. She still didn't look at him, her focus completely on Rukia.

"I thought you didn't know who I was." she replied coldly, avoiding his question.

"I don't."

"You do now." she paused, and looked at Rukia, "And she knew already knew."

"A lot of people know who you are." Rukia replied, "You were 3rd seat of the 5th squad."

Ichigo felt puzzled. How come she was acting so calm now? When she'd first confronted him, she'd run in fear that he'd discover her identity.

_'But I guess...since her Hollow let slip her name, it was already too late. And I hadn't shown recognition to the name...But why has she come here of all places? What has it talked her into?'_

"And your captain seemed to be concerned about your...condition..." Rukia felt the sword point actually dig into her flesh, and saw those silver eyes narrow and darken with anger.

"You speak as if I'm infected with some horrific illness." she almost hissed back, sounding almost like her Hollow side.

"We all have our problems Kuchiki, some of them are just a bit harder to keep control of." Arianna continued, "Like your big mouth." she smirked, "Not the best thing to have when someone has a sword poised at your throat." Ichigo could see the scowl on Rukia's face, she wasn't liking this situation.

_'Well...at least she shut Kuchiki up...'_

"So is this all you came here for?" This time she did turn to look at him, and he saw confusion flicker in her eyes.

"Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"Yeah?"  
"But...but...you can see me?"

"Yeah..."

"I...I thought..."

"That I was a shinigami." She nodded. Rukia moved, thinking maybe that now Arianna's attention was on Ichigo, she could do alert Soul Society and cut their search time down. She was however, proved wrong when she felt that sword point dig into her throat again.

"And what do you think you're doing?" To Ichigo, it seemed neither of them thought the other likeable, so that could be the cause of the venom between them. Rukia didn't reply and shifted on the floor to make herself more comfortable.

"I am...well, sort of." He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants, "Haven't been one for long, like I said."

"Like you said..." her voice trailed off, as if trying to remember the words. Then he remembered that that had been what he'd said to her Hollow.

"You remember that right?"

"Vaguely..." Then she shook her head. Ichigo thought it was like she was trying to get herself back to focusing on her purpose here...whatever that was...

"What is she doing here?" she said suddenly, her voice becoming cold again.

"Who? Kuchiki?" Ichigo scratched the back of his head, seeing Rukia looking at him from the corner of his eye, "Dunno really. She just sorta, hangs around." A low angry growl came from Rukia and Ichigo smirked.

"Suppose Soul Society sent her here to keep an eye on me. Guess they think that I can't take care of Hollow's by myself." he scoffed, "And to think, I defeated two of their captains." Something flickered in Arianna's eyes...fear possibly?

_'Two captains...two!'_

_"And yet, come to think of it...I was this close to killing that stupid human posing as a shinigami..." _Ichigo saw her eyes drift off, before their focus snapped back to him and Rukia.

Arianna then opened her mouth to say something when a nearby noise caught her attention. Slightly squeaking footsteps coming into the room...and just then, a stuffed lion came through the open bedroom door. It then turned and jumped back a step when it saw the three of them standing there, with the sword poised at Rukia's throat.

"Nee-san!" It then cried, and began running towards Rukia. There was the sound of rippling cloth, as Arianna leaped over Rukia, landed on the ground behind her and grabbed the stuffed animal roughly by the ear, holding it up and her zanpakto still held in her hand.

"What, "she said, "is this?"  
"The names Kon lady, and don't you forget it!" Kon then shouted, sounding a lot braver then he was as he struggled to get out of Arianna's grip. She then turned him around, to have a closer look at it and his little beady black eyes widened.

_'Oh my god! A female shinigami!' _He thought excitedly, _'Look at those eyes! And...and...' _His eyes strayed lower and almost swooned at the sight of the cleavage he could see from his position.

_'Not as big as Mastu's or Orhime's...but still...look at them! Begging for me to go to them, to have me pressed to that godly valley!'_

Ichigo noticed the strange look on Arianna's face at Kon, who was currently swooning.

"What...is it...doing?" she said and Ichigo felt a smirk come to his face. Obviously unaware to the mod soul's tendencies and liking of females in general, she couldn't tell that Kon was in fact swooning over the fact he was being held by a female shinigami with, in Kon's words, "a valley of the gods". Now, getting a closer look at the Hollow shinigami, he couldn't help but scan his eyes over her form (a teenage boy's habit in regards to girls/women if you ask me). Sure, he'd known that she appeared thin and dainty and now with a breast size that left Kon swooning (not that he didn't with any female...), he knew that she was faster and stronger then she appeared. Kon seemed fascinated with her cleavage and breasts, which were smaller then Matsumoto's and Orhime's but bigger then Rukia's, and all he could do was roll his eyes at the stuffed animal.

"He's admiring, what he would call, your valley of the gods." he replied and the second after those words had left his mouth, there was loud thump as Kon hit the wall hard, thrown away by Arianna, who had a rather shocked and stunned look on her face.

"A perverted stuffed animal...not something you see everyday." she said, still stunned.

Ichigo looked back to Rukia, which would have worked if Rukia had actually been there. He looked around the room and saw her come back inside through the window...holding her phone.

_'That phone...that's her link to Soul Society...which means...'_

"I think you should leave Arianna..." Hearing him, Arianna's head turned so she was looking at him.

"What?"

"You should leave, it's not safe if you stay here any longer." Confusion flickered across her face, before she noticed that Rukia was now standing. Her eyes moved across the other shinigami and then came to a stop at her hand, which was now curled around her phone.

"Uncurl your hand." Arianna almost commanded.

"Why?" Rukia replied, "I don't take orders from people like you." Arianna's teeth gritted together, in anger.

"Last time I checked, you didn't have your zanpakto at my throat anymore so your in no position to be ordering me about." Rukia continued. At those words, Arianna's zanpakto went up, to be poised at her throat again, but Rukia moved, and headed for the badge that Ichigo had next to his bed. The badge that allowed him to separate his spirit form from his body.

_'Damn it.' _Arianna moved to stop her, but by that time, she'd used it and her spirit form was free from the gigai, and she stood next to the bed, in her shinigami robes. She then spun around, drawing her own zanpakto and pointed it at Arianna.

"I think we're in no position to negotiate whose in control here." she said calmly, and Arianna backed up a little.

_"Why did I even come here in the first place? I don't want to deal with her."_

_"We wanted to see whether it was true...that Kuchiki Rukia was with that human boy."_

_"Right, fine. We've done that. Now I'm outta here."_

_"But Arianna...we could take care of both of them...I mean, they have told Soul Society about you..."_

_"What!?"_

_"Yes...and right at this moment, they're hurrying here to capture you and take you back there...Kuchiki called them here by using her phone which she was holding in her hand...I'm surprised you didn't notice..."_

Ichigo saw those silver eyes go wide and he could only guess what was going on inside her head.

"Damn it Rukia! What have you done!" he shouted at her.

"What have I done!" she shouted back, "We would have had her cornered earlier if you hadn't of decided to stop and chat!" Ichigo growled in frustration and anger, but otherwise didn't reply.

_"I'm outta here, I'm in no position to be cornered here by captains, lieutenants and these two..." _Arianna then began moving towards the window, one way to escape without causing attention downstairs.

"You stay where you are." Rukia said to her, "If you stay here it'll make things easier on yourself when Soul Society comes."

"You expect me to stand here when they come to kill me!" The girl screamed at her, "DO YOU EXPECT ME TO STAND HERE WHEN THEY TAKE ME TO MY DEATH!" Rukia took a step back, as one silver eye flickered from yellow to silver, then yellow again and finally back to silver as Arianna managed to get a hold of herself.

They were all then taken aback by the surge of reitsu they felt coming in this direction and Ichigo saw Arianna's eyes go wide with fear. She then raced towards the window, before either could stop her and flung herself out of it.

"Arianna!" he shouted and ran over to the window, Rukia hot on his heels.

"Great. She's escaped." Rukia muttered. She climbed onto the sill, her zanpakto now sheathed and then vaulted over it, falling down to land perfectly on the ground below.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Ichigo shouted out the window at her.

"Going after her, what does it look like I'm doing?" And with those words, she ran off, in the same direction as Arianna. Cursing, Ichigo walked over and snatched up his badge.

_'Damn you Kuchiki.' _

Soon enough, he was following the two of them in spirit form, catching up as quick as he could. The surge of reitsu was getting closer, as Soul Society approached; he just hoped he could get to Arianna before they did.

**Some Random: DUN NUN NUN NAH!! Is Arianna going to manage to lose Kuchiki Rukia? Is Rukia going to be able to stop Arianna escaping and hand her over to Soul Society? Is Ichi going to be able to beat Soul Society to Arianna and get her out of there before they find out? Isn't this such a great cliff-hanger? (grins crazily)**

**Ichigo: Ichi?**

**Some Random: Yeah, it's my new nickname for you... (realizes something) What the hell are you doing here! Get back to where you were in the story!!**

**Ichigo: (rolls his eyes) God help me... (leaves)**

**Some Random: Anyway...thanks to those that reviewed this, I really appreciate them! In fact, I appreciate reviews period...so please review!!**

**Some Random out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN – Bleach, any movies/TV shows/books/songs etc used in this...**

**I DO OWN – My OC's and some of the plot of this story...I think...**

**Warning: Contains spoilers!**

**Chapter Three - The Hunter and the Hunted...**

Arianna shunpo'd through the streets of Karakura, desperate to escape the shinigami on her tail. She'd been stupid to trust that Kurosaki kid, but how would she have known that he would go to Soul Society? He didn't seem the type.

'_Maybe Kuchiki talked him into it...'_

She risked a glance behind her, to check on her pursuer and when she saw the flash of black, she sped up. The sound of her heart pounding furiously in her chest echoed in her ears, as did her breathing as she shunpo'd faster and faster.

"_We never should have gone there in the first place..."_

"_Don't blame me...you're the one that wanted to check it out..." _Arianna resisted the temptation to roll her eyes at her Hollow, for that would obscure her vision of what was ahead of her. Her eyes scanned around her, looking for somewhere else to go. Then she noticed the park, and sped towards it, thinking she could maybe lose Kuchiki in the midst of the forest there.

After speeding through the trees for sometime, she led a false trail for Kuchiki to follow, thinking she'd gone that way, and settled in one of the trees, trying to calm her racing heart, which she could still hear pounding in her ears.

She managed to calm down slightly when suddenly...snap!...her head turned quickly in the direction of the stick that snapped nearby and felt her heart rate quicken once again.

'_If I stay still and cover up my reitsu like I did with Kurosaki...maybe she won't find me...'_

She kept still in the tree, making her breathing quieter so she wouldn't be heard, while clutching at the pendant around her neck, usually hidden beneath her robes. Her thumb ran over its carved surface as she held it in her hand. She'd found it in the time before she became a shinigami, on a day she was just wandering through her district in Rukongai and she'd just stumbled upon it. The design on it had intrigued her, so she'd taken it home with her, where she'd lived with her "family". She'd known that they weren't her real family, as she'd only had her mother to look after her back in the living world, years ago. At the time, she hadn't realised its ability to hide reitsu but once she had, it had especially come in handy in hiding form others. And it was especially handy now. As long as she wore it, her reitsu would stay hidden from anybody pursuing her.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

'_Damn it!'_ Rukia mentally cursed. She was sure that she'd followed the girl right to this spot, following her reitsu and the moved tree limbs that signified someone had been through that area. But where was she? She couldn't sense her reitsu at all now, and she'd been right on her tail, so she can't have just disappeared.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Arianna leant against a branch in her hiding spot, looking down at the Kuchiki woman below her. She was safe here, as long as she kept quiet, kept wearing her pendant and kept still. But then the latter became harder, as she felt an uncomfortable feeling in her front, of something pressing against her chest. It was her Hollow mask, hidden underneath her robes, still with the split in it from fighting Kurosaki. And not to mention a few cracks. She could feel it slipping from its place beneath her robes, and she felt her body shaking, hoping it wouldn't fall out of her robes and onto the ground, drawing the Kuchiki woman's attention. But that, however, wasn't in the mask's interests at all. She silently voiced her protest, her hand reaching out towards it as it slid from her robes to land with a thump on the ground below her tree and her heart stopped as she heard footsteps coming closer.

Rukia was just thinking of giving up her search when she heard the sound of something falling from a tree nearby. Turning around, she saw something white at the base of a nearby tree and walked closer towards it.

Looking down, her heart feeling like it was forcing its way out of her chest, Arianna saw the Kuchiki woman crouch down and pick up the mask, looking at it carefully.

The mask was white and she knew for certain it was that of a Hollow, which meant the young Hollow shinigami was nearby. But what intrigued her was the split in the mask over the right side, like a sword had sliced through the bone mask. She then thought back to Arianna and remembered seeing a thin red scar across the girl's right cheek, confirming her suspicions that this was indeed her Hollow mask.

It was now or never. Her mind screamed at her to run, to escape and hide. But the other voice told her differently. She could catch the Kuchiki woman by surprise, find some way to delay her pursuit and then escape with the mask. Or she could defeat her and then have a clear way to escape. The latter wouldn't be difficult, the two of them were at about the same level, but in different squads.

'_Here goes...'_ Was her only thought before she jumped down from her tree, knocking the Kuchiki woman to the ground, before grabbing the mask off her and moving off, into the nearby clearing.

'_Run...run...run...run...run...' _Her mind screamed at her as she ran through the clearing, unopposed.

"_This was way too easy..."_

"_Don't get cocky, she's right..." _Her Hollow didn't even get to finish their sentence when something black flew over their head and landed ahead of her, zanpakto drawn. Surprise made her slip on the grass, landing roughly on the ground, and her mask landing on the ground beside her.

"_Told you not to get cocky..."_

"_Curse you..."_

She felt the point of the Kuchiki woman's zanpakto on her cheek, underneath the scar she'd received from Ichigo days previously.

"Seems that your fight with Ichigo wasn't as easy as you probably thought." The older woman said coldly, and Arianna felt her slap her cheek with her zanpakto.

"You should have known better. A 3rd seat fighting against him, is fighting a worthless battle." Arianna felt the point of the zanpakto underneath her chin.

"Even with that thing inside you, that abomination." Those words stung and Arianna felt her anger bubble up inside her, and heard an eerie laughter inside her head.

'_Abomination? I'll show you abomination...'_

"As I speak, captains and lieutenants rush to this very area, to take you in." Rukia paused, "We can't let you fall into the wrong hands."

"So is that all I am? I enter this and all I am is a piece on the chessboard between Soul Society and Aizen. A piece that both wants, will do anything for, and care nothing for what the piece they seek wants." Arianna snapped back, anger looking like fire in her silver eyes.

"Just keep still and stop talking. It'll make things easier on yourself." Rukia lifted the girl's chin up with her zanpakto, but it was knocked away by the young Hollow shinigami, who then got to her feet.

"It would be best if you wouldn't start a fight with me, Arianna." The girl was unfazed by the use of her name, or the threat.

"I'm sick of your empty threats Kuchiki." She growled, "Is that all you nobles are? All talk and show, but no action? Are you actually afraid I'll fight back?" Rukia's dark eyes narrowed with anger and she was severely tempted to wipe that stupid smirk of that Hollow shinigami's face with her zanpakto.

Metal flashed in the half-light of the moon as Arianna drew her own zanpakto, and shifted into an offensive stance.

"The only rank you hold above me is the title of a noble." The girl said, still smirking, "Let's see if you actually have any skill at all." Rukia blocked the swing from the girl, and the next, but her words still held a sting. She was no lieutenant, so she held no rank higher then the Hollow shinigami, whose true danger lay in the Hollow within her. But one thing made her think. Her power couldn't have heightened so intensely when she became a Hollow, because she remembered Ichigo remarking in the large increase in reitsu he felt from her after she put on that mask.

"And the only power you hold over me is of that Hollow of yours." Rukia replied, when their zanpakto connected again, the two almost face to face, "Which would make it an unfair advantage."

"True." They parted again, and the girl kicked away the Hollow mask. It landed a few feet away, in the grass, a strange sight in the park.

"_What the hell are you doing?"_

"_This one I can do on my own..."_

"I guess I could be fair." Then she attacked again and Rukia brought her zanpakto up to block it and the next attack after that. Arianna then flipped back and dodged the Kuchiki woman's attack, before blocking the next two.

Both of them kept reaching the same stalemate, blocking and dodging each other's attacks. Soon enough, both of them stood a few feet away from each other, their zanpakto at their side, looking at each other.

"It seems we're too evenly matched. Bummer." Arianna said. Rukia's teeth gritted together at the snide tone the girl was using.

"I really wanted to leave here knowing I kicked Kuchiki Rukia's arse, without even using the power of my Hollow." Rukia's temper was at breaking point, yet she knew to keep her cool and not charge in and attack the Hollow shinigami. She wasn't taking that bait.

"So you use that thing for fighting your battles do you?" she remarked, "While you run and hide?" Arianna's hands gripped her zanpakto hilt tighter, trying not to charge in recklessly.

"Or do you actually fight some of your battles yourself? Cowardice is only natural to some." That was the limit, that was all the Hollow shinigami was going to take.

"I'm not a coward!" she screamed and charged straight at Rukia.

'_The bait...has been taken.' _Rukia thought, but would soon discover that an enraged Arianna was not as reckless and foolish as she appeared. Her attacks were more frantic, faster, and with anger and what strength she could muster behind them.

Rukia was beginning to wonder what she'd gotten herself into, as she dodged attack after attack after attack after attack from Arianna. And it was getting harder and harder to block and dodge them too.

'_She just keeps coming!' _

"Underestimate me did you?" The girl snarled, swinging her zanpakto around to attempt an attack to Rukia's side, which was blocked by the other's zanpakto. Rukia didn't answer the comment, instead concentrating on subduing the Hollow shinigami.

Both of them kept fighting, exchanging attacks and blocking them too. Arianna then ran at Rukia once again, before leaping into the air and as she fell, bringing her zanpakto down with her. Both of them, focused only on themselves, didn't even hear the fast-paced footsteps that came at them and Rukia just noticed the orange haired shinigami slid in front of her, zanpakto drawn before Arianna's zanpakto came down at them. The girl flipped back, her attack blocked as it had collided with Ichigo's and she stood a foot or two away from them, surprised at the presence of the human boy.

Ichigo turned to look at Rukia, but instead of a look of gratitude that he helped her, he saw a venomous look instead.

"Ichigo!" she shouted, hitting him over the head, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Excuse me, just inform me next time you'd prefer to be split in half by a zanpakto." Ichigo snapped back.

"I was going to block that!"

"Then block this!" Arianna then shouted, and Rukia felt something slice through her robes and her side. The girl jumped back, zanpakto in hand and Rukia clutched at her side, feeling the blood from her wound seeping through her robes.

'_Damn her.'_

Ichigo turned, to see Arianna behind Rukia, holding her zanpakto in front of her, a scowl fixed firmly on her lips.

"What the hell are you doing?" He shouted at her.

"Doing what the hell I want, Kurosaki. I attacked Kuchiki, so what?" Arianna replied, rather coldly, "The bitch deserved it." Although he was tempted to agree with her (on the fact that Rukia was rather annoying and he himself wanted to attack her sometimes) he knew that he couldn't let it slide. There was one thing he could gather from her behaviour though, which seemed a direct opposite to last time he saw her. The girl was pissed off about something, probably something Rukia said about her and her Hollow.

Ichigo lowered Zangetsu to his side, before starting to remove the cloth around the blade. But a pale hand on his arm stopped him and he looked over at Rukia.

"Rukia..." his started to say, but she brushed him off, moving past him and holding her zanpakto out in front of her, in an offensive stance.

"You wanna go again Kuchiki?" The girl said, raising an eyebrow, "I don't think that's wise."  
"How would you know what's wise and what isn't?"

"For starters, I don't have a scratch on me." The girl spread out her arms, showing no sign of injury before lowering them. One hand then went to her face, and the fingers on that hand lightly traced the scar on her cheek, which she'd received from Ichigo days before.

"From you that is." The girl added, taking a quick glance towards the Hollow mask nearby. Ichigo turned to see it lying in the grass, obviously abandoned by its owner and he guessed that Arianna had fought against Rukia, without it.

'_Can't blame her. They're both probably about the same level, so it's no big deal. But me however...'_

"So are you going to attack me or what?" The girl spread her arms out again, her zanpakto in one hand.

'_What the hell is she doing?' _Ichigo thought, _'Exposing herself like that, so open to attack...she's got something planned, I can feel it...but there's not time for that...'_

"Do you really think you have enough time for this?" Ichigo said and the girl lowered her arms.

"What?"

"Think. Fighting Kuchiki before has eaten up enough of the time you have already. You have no time to spare on another." Rukia looked at him, feeling rather stunned at his words.

_'He's telling her to escape! We're supposed to be stalling her so she can be captured!'_

"What are you getting at Kurosaki?" Arianna said, moving her zanpakto closer to her body, holding it in front of her.

"Get outta here. Just run away, far away."

"I don't understand. I thought you didn't want me to run away."

"Just get lost okay!" He shouted at her suddenly, making her take a step back. She stood there stunned for about a second or two before recovering.

"What are you doing!?" Rukia shouted at him.

"Giving her a chance."

"A chance?" Then the reitsu hit them. The feeling of it made Arianna fall to her knees, recognising it immediately. Rukia held her ground better and Ichigo wasn't even fazed by it. He'd felt this reitsu before.

"Kenpachi." He said and saw fear return in Arianna's eyes. Her whole body was shaking even at the mention of the name of the 11th squad captain. He saw her moving slowly towards her Hollow mask, fear at what was nearby making her movements slower as not to draw attention to herself.

"Ichigo." said the voice of Kenpachi. Ichigo turned to see the man standing behind him.

"Ichi!" Yachiru said excitedly, popping up on Kenpachi's shoulder.

"I see you've found our little Hollow shinigami friend." Kenpachi said, looking over at Arianna, who jumped when she noticed him looking at her, as she sat on the ground, now clutching her Hollow mask. Yachiru then jumped off Kenpachi's shoulder and wandered over to Arianna, who was still wide-eyed, shaking and watching her carefully.

"You sure this is her Ken-chan?" Yachiru said, looking at Arianna, who even on her knees was taller then the 11th squad lieutenant.

"This is Shiny Eyes alright, but how can she be who we're looking for?" Yachiru then poked Arianna in the arm, "She's too weak and frightened to stand up near you Ken-chan."

Kenpachi sighed before he turned back to Ichigo.

"Step aside Ichigo, we'll take it from here." Rukia moved away from Arianna, but Ichigo didn't move.

"Step aside." Yachiru moved away from Arianna and stepped back, hearing the commanding and angered tone her Ken-chan was using. Ichigo then stepped closer to Arianna, standing in front of her now. She looked up when he approached, fear still in those silver eyes. He could see why Yachiru had called her "Shiny Eyes". Those silver eyes always seemed bright and to almost shine in the dark.

"Don't worry." he said to her quietly, "It's okay."

"This is in Soul Society and the Gotei 13's hands now Ichigo." Kenpachi said, "You don't need to concern yourself with her anymore."

"So you're here to take her back there are you?" Ichigo replied, keeping his back to Kenpachi.

"Not just me. I just managed to get here first."

"I see. I bet you're thinking it'll be easy taking her right?"

"You saying you're gonna stop me?" Kenpachi grinned, "I've been wanting to fight you again for a long time now Ichigo."

"Have you now?" Ichigo smirked.  
"Yeah. So, tell me. You stopping me from capturing the target or are you gonna let me take her? Your choice, but I'd prefer the first option." Kenpachi gripped his zanpakto tightly, spoiling for a fight.

"I suppose...it's the first option." Arianna was confused at his reply. He was helping her? She watched him remove the cloth around Zangetsu's blade and then hold it at his side. Kenpachi was still grinning and moved his zanpakto to an offensive position.

"What is the meaning of this Captain Kenpachi?" said a female voice nearby. Soi Fong, the owner of the voice, then came into view, walking up to stand beside Kenpachi.

"Ichigo is refusing to step aside. I was just going to...convince him that it's in his best interests to." The 2nd squad captain didn't look convinced by Kenpachi's statement at all. She then turned to Ichigo.

"Step aside Kurosaki." she commanded. But once again, Ichigo didn't move from in front of Arianna, he just turned around to face the two captains.

"Told you." Kenpachi said, in an "I told you so" fashion.

"So, he's defending the little abomination." Soi Fong replied. At that last word though, something inside the "little abomination" snapped. She looked at the mask in her hands, yet looked away from it. She was too angry to really think rationally at the moment, to think of asking for it's help. It was it's fault she was in this mess in the first place...

_"You're thinking of payback right? Then you'll need me...' _There was no answer, but then again, it could sense the stubbornness in its host and the anger the girl felt. Maybe it would see if she could sort this out for herself...

Soi Fong saw the girl behind Ichigo get to her feet. Immediately, she reached for her zanpakto.

"Stand down. It's the best option for you." she said, hoping the girl would listen. The girl said nothing but raised her head, her dark hair hanging in front of those silver eyes, set with hatred and anger.

"Abomination huh?" she snapped back, her eyes narrowed, "I'll give you abomination." She picked up her zanpakto and Ichigo turned in time to see her do it.

'_What is she doing!' _He thought, _'She'll get herself killed if she fights a captain in this state! Without her Hollow...'_

Then he felt what appeared to be a rather large increase in reitsu coming from the girl. He'd only just managed to see her flip the pendant around her neck around and then he'd felt the increase of reitsu, when he'd felt none before.

The pendant on the end of the cord could spin; she'd discovered that after she'd found it. Then she'd discovered the pendant's unique properties. Wear it with one side visible and reitsu was hidden. Wear it with the other side visible and reitsu is no longer hidden. Guess which side was visible now...

Her zanpakto shifted into position and Ichigo saw Kenpachi grin.

"Seems our little friend wants to fight. And I thought she was just a cowardly weakling." he said, "But it seems she's not so cowardly after all. I guess she's a foolish weakling now."

"Stand down. It's not wise for you to pick a fight with us, 3rd seat Sarokai." Soi Fong said.

"It is not wise for you to mess with my temper Captain Fong." Arianna replied, "I don't appreciate being called an abomination. Kuchiki Rukia should have already learnt that lesson by now." Rukia said nothing in response to that comment.

"I'm not a traitor, all I've done is develop another entity inside of me that just happens to be a Hollow. I left Soul Society of my own accord, not because I killed somebody. I ran away to keep others safe." Then her next few words were almost snarled instead of spoken:

"I am _not_ an abomination."

"Let's just get this over with." Kenpachi growled, "The sooner we get her back to Soul Society, the better."

"So you can "take care of" her? So you can all stop the humiliation Soul Society has already suffered from getting worse? You've already had three captains become traitors, you don't need a shinigami with a Hollow inside them running around also." Ichigo then snapped at both captains, "She's really no different to an ordinary 3rd seat shinigami."

"Kurosaki we..." Soi Fong didn't even get to complete her sentence when she felt the cool sting of metal at her throat. A zanpakto as it turned out.

"Oh no, don't let me stop you. Please continue Captain Fong, we're all waiting to hear what you have to say..." The familiar voice of the girl came form behind her. They all stood there for a few seconds stunned. Not one of them had seen her move. Ichigo then took a look at Arianna. Her eyes seemed to hold an almost yellow glow for a moment before it soon disappeared.

'_So that's how she moved so fast...using the speed of her Hollow side...'_

"So let's see, whose making the demands now?" Arianna then remarked, getting a better grip of her zanpakto, her other hand holding the 2nd squad captain's shoulder tightly, to stop her getting away.

"It seems while on the run you lost what innocence remained within you, from your time in Soul Society Arianna." It was the first time the 2nd squad captain had actually used the girl's name and she felt the zanpakto blade go closer.

"It's hard to keep innocence in times like this and with another entity speaking to you constantly, those little whispers driving you to the line between sanity and insanity. Sometimes you cross that line, sometimes you just stray near it and pull back. And sometimes, if you do cross that line, it's sometimes too hard to pull yourself back out that you just stay put, in fear of returning to sanity and also reality, the reality of facing that voice with a clearer, more rational mind." Soi Fong said nothing, just listening to the girl's words.

"How you survive is up to you. Do you go completely insane? Do you surrender to that soft voice whispering to you and let them run your life? Do you defy it and try your hardest to ignore it while still trying to keep sane and survive? What happens is your own choice. Fate dealt you these cards and all you can do is play along with them to the best of your ability."

Rukia was only half listening to the girl's twisted words on surviving with a Hollow. All she knew, was that she was finally distracted. She inched closer, keeping out of view of the girl. Once she was close enough...she pounced.

Arianna was caught off guard as she felt something connect with her legs, knocking her off her feet. As she fell back, she caught a glimpse of a head of dark hair and felt a scowl come to her lips.

'_Kuchiki...damn her...' _Then she hit the ground, her zanpakto clattering to the ground beside her. She just managed to roll to the side to avoid the other zanpakto stabbing down at her. She lay on the ground on her stomach next to her zanpakto for about half a second, before she moved again, dodging another strike, to then get to her feet with her zanpakto and block the third attack that came at her. As she locked blades with the 2nd squad captain's zanpakto, she gritted her teeth together, feeling the cuts on her hands.

"I really didn't want it to come down to this." Soi Fong said.

"Sure you didn't." The girl remarked. Their zanpakto unlocked from each other and Soi Fong held hers out in front of her, threatening the young Hollow shinigami.

"For the final time, stand down." One arm, the one with the hand holding her zanpakto, dropped to her side and Soi Fong could swear she saw the girl smirk.

"Really?"

"I'll take that as a no then?"

"You could..."

"Suit yourself." She held her zanpakto in front of her, before uttering the words for the shikai release of her zanpakto.

"Sting your enemies to death, Suzumebachi." The zanpakto changed from its simple katana form into the true form of Soi Fong's zanpakto, Suzumebachi.

'_Forgot she takes things this seriously...'_

"_Tut tut. Getting forgetful could get you killed...and that would be __**tragic...**__"_

"_And you can just shut up..." _The laughter that followed was about as comforting as now facing Soi Fong and Suzumebachi. Not comforting at all. The first lunge from the 2nd squad captain she dodged, barely. The shikai released zanpakto sliced through the front of her shinigami robes, missing the flesh underneath, but it had been close.

'_Best option for now...is to get her away from me...' _Flipping backwards to dodge the next attack, she then ran off, trying to put some distance between her and the 2nd squad captain.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

As the two ran off into the forest, Kenpachi turned to Ichigo.

"Maybe I was wrong...maybe she is a coward after all."

"Would **you** rather face Suzumebachi instead Kenpachi?"

"Nah, I don't fight sissies like her."

"Sissies?"

"Women's Association members." Rukia then crossed her arms in front of her chest.

'_Nice one Zaraki...just nice...pay out on our organisation then will you...maybe next time we'll pay out one of yours...'_

"Now...what was this about our fight Ichigo?" The man shifted his zanpakto into offensive once again and Ichigo immediately brought Zangetsu up in front of him.

'_Maybe I got into more then I had bargained for.'_

Ichigo then moved Zangetsu to block the attack from the older man and then jumped aside to dodge the second.

"Come on Ichigo!" The man taunted, "Don't run away like that coward Hollow shinigami did."

'_Bastard...' _Ichigo then swung Zangetsu up, to attack Kenpachi, who blocked it with his sword, but the next attack hit him on the shoulder and the man took a step back.

"That's it! Fight me Kurosaki!"

As the two of them fought, Yachiru and Rukia stood beside each other a few feet away. Watching the two for a moment, Rukia then took a few steps towards Ichigo when she felt something tugging on her robes. Looking down, she saw it was Yachiru.

"Whatcha doin?" The small girl asked, "You don't need to interfere in their fight. Ken-chan can take care of himself!" Rukia rolled her eyes at the 11th squad lieutenant.

"Actually, I was thinking of Ichigo, he needs to stop fighting..."

"Nah ah!" Yachiru complained suddenly, "You can't go stopping the fight! Ken-chan's having fun! He's been wanting to fight Ichi again for ages!"

"I'm going to stop it Yachiru." Rukia took a step forward.

"Take another step and I'll...I'll..."

"You'll what?"

"I'll...I'll...I'll attack you with my zanpakto!" Rukia didn't quite know how to take this. Nobody had actually seen the young 11th squad lieutenant use her zanpakto before, but they knew she must have an incredible amount of reitsu, to be able to ride on Kenpachi's shoulder. As Rukia mused this over however, her back to Yachiru, she failed to notice the small girl struggling to pull her zanpakto out of its sheath.

"Come out..." she growled at her seemingly stubborn zanpakto. Then she yanked it really hard, and in doing so, she felt it move, thinking it was now coming out.

"Ah hah!" But however...the girl was wrong. Her whole zanpakto, sheath and all, went forward as she yanked it and hit Rukia on the back of the head...surprisingly, considering how small Yachiru is...

Rukia fell forward, knocked out by being hit in the head with Yachiru's zanpakto and the small girl stood beside her unconscious form, holding her zanpakto in one hand, a look that read "Whoops..." on her face.

"Oopsie."

Then the sound of rippling cloth and the feeling of others reitsu drew the girl's attention and she turned to come see the 5th squad lieutenant and captain arrive at the scene. Thinking quickly, she hid her zanpakto behind her back, so nobody would think that she'd knocked Rukia out.

"Oh my god! What happened to Kuchiki-san?" Momo said, seeing Rukia's unconscious form. She then noticed Yachiru.

"What happened here?" she asked the small girl.

"The Hollow shinigami did it!" Yachiru exclaimed, pointing at Rukia, while still trying to hide her zanpakto behind her back, "Honest! She came and whacked Kuchiki over the head with her zanpakto!" Momo turned, just in time to see one of her captain's eyebrows rise. She then followed her gaze, just to see the top of a zanpakto poking up from behind Yachiru's back.

"What really happened Lieutenant Kusajishi?" her captain said, looking straight at the small girl.

"Well…" Yachiru's zanpakto then dropped the ground behind her, "I may…have…_accidentally_..." Serephia sighed. The girl was about as open about what she'd done as her captain. The new 5th squad captain crouched down in front of the 11th squad lieutenant, so they were as close to face to face as she could get.

"If I've got this straight, you accidentally hit Kuchiki-san over the head with your zanpakto?"

"Maybe..."

"Why, may I ask, did you do that?"

"Cause she was gonna stop Ken-chan and Ichi fighting! And Ken-chan looked like he was having fun and I didn't want her to ruin his fun and he's been wanting to fight Ichi again for ages!" Serephia raised an eyebrow.

"I see. But why is Captain Kenpachi fighting Kurosaki?"

"Cause he wouldn't let him get to the Hollow shinigami! And Ken-chan asked _real_ nicely too!"

'_So, you were protecting her, were you Kurosaki? We'll just have to see how well this goes down with Soul Society...'_

"And where is our friend the Hollow shinigami?" Yachiru then turned and pointed towards the forest.

"That way. She ran in there, after being attacked by Suzuemwatchi..."

'_Captain Fong...' _Even with Yachiru's mispronunciation of the zanpakto, Serephia could tell who it was that was after the Hollow shinigami straight away.

"Lieutenant Hinamori." Momo straightened quickly at her name, turning to look at her captain.

"Yes Captain Yulrik?"

"Stay here and take care of Lieutenant Kusajishi and Kuchiki-san." she paused, "I'm going after her..."

Momo didn't even have to ask who her was, cause she could tell anyway that her captain meant the Hollow shinigami. The one that was supposed to be the ex 3rd seat of their squad, Arianna Sarokai.

As she watched her captain disappear into the forest, Momo found her mind drifting to Arianna.

She hadn't minded the girl, apart from her being jumpy and little insecure at times, she'd gotten along with the young 3rd seat. She'd been just as curious as to her disappearance as everyone else had been, especially curious as she hadn't seen any sort of signs that would lead to her disappearing from Arianna at all. Her thoughts were interrupted however, by Yachiru tugging on her robes.

"Yes?" she said, looking down at the small girl.

"Do you think Shiny Eyes really is the Hollow shinigami?" Momo was slightly taken aback by the question.

"I...I don't know Yachiru."

"Well I don't." Momo crouched down beside the smaller lieutenant.

"Why's that?"

"Cause the Shiny Eyes I remember didn't act like the new one does. She may look like her, but that ain't her."

"Really?"

"I can feel it. She's too different."

"People change Yachiru."

"Still don't think it's her." Momo couldn't help but smile.

'_She's too naïve...she doesn't understand how much people can change.' _That smile then changed to a look of concern,_ 'But...if this is Arianna...and Yachiru thinks she's too different...would even I be able to realise it's actually her?'_

**Some Random: I just couldn't resist! Yachiru is so cute, but it's so like her to do something like that. And Momo doubts her ability to recognise Arianna, from Yachiru's words on her having changed. Anyway, this chapter was going to get too long if I'd added what else I was going to, so I split the next bit, which includes Soi Fong's battle with Arianna and some other nice battle stuff. Anyway, that's enough from me for now, I'll see you next chapter. And you know the drill...please review! And to those that have reviewed this, thanks for doing that and please keep reviewing. Some Random out.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN – Bleach, any movies/TV shows/books/songs etc used in this...**

**I DO OWN – My OC's and some of the plot of this story...I think...**

**Chapter Four - Captured!**

'_Damn.' _thought Arianna, as she felt Suzumebachi slice across the back of her leg, almost making her miss the next branch and that attack left another butterfly mark. It joined the array of other marks on her body, including the one of her face, on the left side. She could hear Soi Fong coming up behind her and she spun around, grabbing the 2nd squad captain's wrist to intercept her next attack and then swung her foot around to have it connect with her side. Soi Fong's body recoiled from that attack and the two then dropped to the forest floor. Arianna stood opposite Soi Fong, her knees bent and her hands resting on them, keeping her up. Her breathing was heavy, as she tried to draw more air into her lungs. She then straightened, looking at Soi Fong, who was also looking at her.

The 2nd squad captain looked at the girl. So far, she'd managed to get a few hits in with Suzumebachi, that she could see from the marks it had made on the girl's body. There was one on the left side of her face at the top of her cheek, another on the back of her leg, two on her back (separate from each other) and one on her right shoulder blade at the front.

"I told you it was not wise to pick a fight with me 3rd seat Sarokai." she said to the girl, "You should have listened." The girl didn't reply, she just brought up her zanpakto, strands of her dark hair falling in front of her face. Soi Fong looked at her, standing opposite her panting, before she noticed the blood on the girl's hands.

_'Seems she's finding it difficult to fight against me...well, I __**do**__ hold the rank of captain...'_

It was becoming harder to hold her zanpakto, what with the blood on her hands making her hands slide on the hilt. Her head rose, just in time to see Soi Fong's arm straighten out to the side, readying Suzumebachi for another attack.

_'This is it...'_

She brought up her zanpakto to block that attack, but felt the stinger like blade slide alongside hers, as her grip on her hilt slipped and she just managed to move aside so it sliced across her upper right arm, missing the butterfly mark on her shoulder blade. She managed to block two more, and back flipped to avoid a third. She swung her zanpakto towards the 2nd squad captain, in an attempt to strike her, but the shorter woman ducked below the swing and she moved quickly to dodge that stinger blade as it swung towards her. The two battled back and forth, with Soi Fong the main one on the offensive and was always quick to get out of defensive, no matter how hard Arianna tried to keep her there. So she kept jumping back, dodging attacks from Suzumebachi to the best of her ability and blocking attacks where necessary. However, then she slipped up. Her foot slid once again on the wet grass and she fell over onto the ground, luckily missing an attack in the process. But when she got up to her knees she felt the point of Suzumebachi pressing lightly against her right shoulder blade. At the butterfly mark. One hit more there and she was finished.

'_Things just aren't working for me tonight.'_

"_Ya don't think?"_

"_This isn't the time for that...and time is something I don't have much left of..."_

"_Oh, I wouldn't worry about that...you have more time then you think..." _Arianna was about to ask her Hollow why but hesitated when she felt a familiar approaching reitsu.

'_Captain Yulrik...' _She was nearby, but not near enough yet to have any part of this.

"It appears your time is at an end 3rd seat Sarokai. You're as good as dead. For good." Soi Fong said, to the apparently doomed girl.

"So what happens now? Do you kill me, or capture me? It doesn't matter to me, either choice is not in my best interests." Underneath the tough talk though, Arianna was scared. She could very well die here, something she'd prefer not to do. But then a hope appeared in the most unlikely of places.

"A choice that should not be in you place to decide upon, Captain Fong." The icy, stern voice of the new 5th squad captain. Soi Fong turned to see her standing behind her.

"I suppose you think as such because you're her captain." The 2nd squad captain replied, "I'm afraid you must be mistaken then. Yamamoto says that the one that finds the girl first must decide her fate."

"I see." Serephia paused, "So then that means Kenpachi decides what happens to her then? Hm?" Soi Fong scowled. This new 5th squad captain was just too...cocky sometimes. No, not cocky, but arrogant. Just too arrogant and smart alecy sometimes.

"Kenpachi isn't currently available."

"I suppose not. Lieutenant Kusajishi informed me he is fighting that Kurosaki boy." She paused, "And yet the objective he let almost escape only to be pursued and cornered by yourself."

"What are you getting at?"

"This whoever gets her cornered first thing doesn't work. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise it would actually have to be Kuchiki Rukia and that Kurosaki Ichigo that decide my fate." Both captains turned at the sound of Arianna's voice.

'_Yet he defended me...until I ruined everything with my stupid actions...I feel like such a fool...can't even let myself get saved by someone else. I only think of myself these days...'_

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With Zangetsu locked with Kenpachi's zanpakto, Ichigo then sensed the fight between Soi Fong and Arianna cease, and then the presence of that new 5th squad captain arrive.

_'Shit...what has she gotten herself into now?'_

Suddenly, he felt someone tugging on his robe, as did Kenpachi. Both looked down to see Yachiru below them, a concerned look on her face. They jumped back a step, withdrawing their zanpaktos and keeping them away from the small pink haired lieutenant.

"Yachiru you dumbass!" Kenpachi shouted at her, "You could've gotten hurt!"

"That's all very nice Ken-chan but Shiny Eyes is in trouble!" Yachiru cried, pointing in the direction Arianna had ran into the forest earlier. Both Ichigo and Kenpachi looked in that direction, with only Ichigo showing the most concern.

"She's supposed to be. Captain Fong's supposed to be capturing her while I was busy with Ichigo."

"But Sour Fong's tryin to kill her!!" At those words, Ichigo then ran off, ignoring Kenpachi's shouts of protest. Even with Yachiru's mispronunciation of the 2nd squad captain's name, he knew he had to get to Arianna...and fast.

"Damn. Look what you did Yachiru." He growled at his lieutenant.

"But Ken-chan, you can always fight Ichi another time, when things aren't so serious...and Sour Fong's not supposed to kill her!"

"You think we should go check it out?" Kenpachi let her climb up onto his shoulder.

"Spose we could. Just to stop Ichi from getting in too much trouble." Kenpachi grinned and the two then ran into the forest, following after Ichigo.

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_'Is she going to kill me or what?' _Arianna thought, looking at Soi Fong, who still had Suzuembachi's point perched at her right shoulder.

"In my opinion, Captain Yulrik, the best option would be to kill her and save us any trouble that could occur with having her in custody." Soi Fong said, keeping her back to Serephia. The 5th squad captain didn't reply.

"Suit yourself." After hearing those words, Arianna felt the stinger like blade stab into her right shoulder. In one quick move, her life was over. All air escaped her lungs in one breath, her eyes widened slightly, those silver orbs unfocused, and her heartbeat slowing. As her body fell forward, she could hear the sound of footsteps, then shouting...

'_This is it...it's over...' _Was her last conscious thought before her body connected with the ground, her eyes closed and everything went black.

"NO!" Ichigo shouted, seeing the body of the dark haired Hollow shinigami lying on the ground, blood pouring from the wound on her shoulder, her arms spread out in front of her head and her hair spread out on the ground, with her zanpakto lying beside her. The two captains present turned in his direction when they noticed him, standing opposite them with Zangetsu drawn.

'_They killed her...after all that talk of capturing her...they killed her. Damn them all to Hell...' _He growled in his head, eerie laughter also echoing in the back of his mind.

"_Ichi was too late! Ichi couldn't save this one!!"_

"Kurosaki." Soi Fong said, standing side on to the angered orange haired boy, "It was in the interests of..."

"Don't give me that fucking shit!" He snapped back, "She didn't deserve to die like this!"

"The safety of Soul Society and the living world was at risk by letting her live. I did what I thought best."

"What you thought best! She ran away to protect people! Not to have her life ended, for "the safety of Soul Society and the living world"! Risk or not, she was still a living being! Every living being has the right to live and die when they chose, not to have that chosen for them!"

Serephia watched the argument carefully, from her position away from both of them. That icy blue gaze drifted over to the body of her 3rd seat. A tragic loss, the girl had really been shaping up to challenge Hinamori for the position of lieutenant someday. But then she did a double take. The girl's chest, it shouldn't be moving. She shouldn't be breathing, she should be dead!

"It can't be." she said suddenly, but Ichigo and Soi Fong were too caught up in their argument to listen. Then the girl's eyes snapped open.

This wasn't right. She wasn't supposed to be able to open her eyes, she shouldn't even be able to be now attempting to move. She was supposed to be dead. Two hits from Suzumebachi and the victim was dead. That was how it was supposed to be. So how was she still alive?

Her body felt stiff and it was an effort to move, but she did, slowly getting to her feet behind Ichigo, not listening to a word of the argument.

"I've said this already and I'll say it again Kurosaki." Soi Fong snapped, pointing her finger angrily at Ichigo, "It was the best thing to..." Ichigo was puzzled when the 2nd squad captain suddenly stopped, her eyes going wide as she looked at something behind him.

"It's the best thing to what?" he replied, feeling puzzled.

"To kill me. But obviously, that didn't work." a familiar voice said and Ichigo could see now why both captains stood stunned. That voice...belonged to Arianna. He whirled around, to see her on her feet, leaning on her zanpakto, stabbed in the ground beside her, for support. The wound in her shoulder was still bleeding, staining her black robes and yet...she was alive.

"It's not possible!" Soi Fong shouted, "You should be dead!"  
"I was thinking the same thing." The girl's hand then reached into her robes, and eyes widened at what she pulled out. A slightly cracked white bone mask, with a gash through the right cheek and an indentation in the forehead area, which she guessed had been from her supposed deathblow.

Ichigo looked at the mask, which he'd seen quite a few times now. He couldn't help but think of a similar occurrence a long time ago, when he went to save Rukia and Hanataro had pulled out a Hollow mask from underneath his robes that supposedly had protected him from a fatal blow from Renji. The same thing had appeared after his fight with Kenpachi.

'_I guess Hollow's look after their hosts then...guess we're no good if we're dead. But she's damn lucky...'_

He still held his ground in front of the injured Arianna, knowing full well that the girl was still weak and her mask could only protect her like that once, now that it was no longer hidden in her robes.

Finding her footing, she then straightened, but one hand held the hilt of her ground driven zanpakto, should she need it for balance.

"Maybe I'll have to try again." Soi Fong said, readying Suzumebachi, "I won't fail this time." Ichigo raised Zangetsu.

"Not if I have anything to say about it." he replied.

"Step aside Kurosaki." Serephia said but Ichigo didn't move.

_'Is he always this stubborn? They're so like each other...except different at the same time...'_

Ichigo stood his ground, watching both captains closely, should they try to attack. But then he felt a soft weight on his shoulder.

"I value your courage and thankyou for coming to help me." Arianna said, her hand on his shoulder, "But this I must do alone."

"But..." _'I can't let you die again...she doesn't have the right to kill you...' _Ichigo looked at her, amber eyes to silver. He could see the grim determination in those silver eyes and stepped away. This was her battle not his. He hated to have to step back, but he grudgingly understood and stepped away. He watched her draw her zanpakto out of the ground, holding it in front of her, in a defensive stance. Defensive was all she could muster the strength for at the moment.

"And now, " Soi Fong said, one foot sliding back as she prepared to attack, "it's time to finish this."

"STOP!!" A voice cried out, just as Soi Fong went to lunge Suzumebachi at Arianna. All heads turned to see Kenpachi standing in the clearing behind them, a distressed looking Yachiru on his shoulder. That cry of stop had obviously come from her.

"You can't kill her!" she shouted at Soi Fong, "Old Yama said not to kill her!" All eyes then appeared to be on Soi Fong.

"I was taking matters into my own hands! I don't see why I need to defend myself. I was attacked. She tried to kill me!" Ichigo looked at Arianna, who seemed unmoved, her face expressionless.

"Self-defence." she replied," Someone tries to kill you, you retaliate. I didn't ask for any of this to happen."

'_This has all gotten too confusing...' _Ichigo thought, watching her closely.

"Then it's best if you just come with us." Serephia said, her tone still level and calm.

"No."

"You leave us no choice then." The 5th squad captain's hand hovered near the zanpakto at her hip, "You refuse to cooperate, so we're left with forceful and..." she glanced at Kenpachi and Soi Fong, "aggressive methods to carry out orders." Arianna's temper flared at the comment.

"You don't care! I refuse because I don't want to go back. I don't want to endanger anyone, that's why I left. Nobody really seemed to have taken notice when a lowly 3rd seat disappears, but when she turns up as a Hollow shinigami it's suddenly a big deal!"

"_I'm sick of fighting, but it seems like my only way out..."_

"_So you're sending me in?"_

"_I thought you'd be pleased..." _There was no reply.

Her head bowed and her right arm, holding her zanpakto, straightened out to the right.

"Strike Moeagatteimasu Hebi." Her zanpakto then took on its shikai release form after a burst of flame down it. The bloodstained Hollow mask brushed against her robes as she cleaned the inside of it.

'_So she's using it __**now**__ to help her fight her way out of this…' _Ichigo thought.

Kenpachi moved his zanpakto in front of him and Soi Fong readied herself for an attack. In its current state, her zanpakto wouldn't block an attack from Moeagatteimasu Hebi very well. Serephia remained unmoved, her hand still hovering over her zanpakto hilt.

"Let's see if you still think I'm so weak and cowardly now." Arianna said, before sliding the mask in place on her face. Yellow eyes then flashed in the eyeholes.

"But I assure you, you _will_ think differently." Her Hollow side hissed, the grin of the mask a rather disturbing sight. The zanpakto in her hand then extended, before it was snapping back like a whip.

"And I know exactly who's first…" she said, before her arm swung forward, shooting her zanpakto towards the captains. Soi Fong jumped out of the way, feeling the air rush past her as it missed her. Kenpachi didn't even have to move, it wasn't anywhere near him. That left one person. Serephia.

Her own zanpakto was drawn out from its sheath quickly and held horizontally in front of her to block the attack from Hollow Arianna. Air rushed past her, rustling her robes as she slid back from the force of the blow, as Arianna's zanpakto impacted with hers. As the other zanpakto withdrew and the dust cleared, it revealed Serephia standing a few feet back, her zanpakto horizontal to her body, the metal of the blade scratched where Arianna's zanpakto had impacted with hers. Those few strands of hair that hung free from her fringe, were askew and her braid hung over one shoulder. But she appeared just as unmoved as before.

"Then, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get, you monstrosity."

"Monstrosity? That's a new one." The Hollow side's yellow eyes flashed in the light that filtered through the trees into the clearing.

"This should be interesting." It said, "But we're not here to chat are we?" The arm swung back, shooting the zanpakto at Serephia again. The 5th squad captain knocked it aside with her zanpakto, but it curved back around. However, that too was unsuccessful as Serephia moved her zanpakto behind her, vertical to her body, blocking that attack as well. She jumped up, back flipping over the shikai released zanpakto as the middle snapped in towards her and knocked it aside again as she came down. She slid slightly as she landed, but was ready again in seconds, zanpakto held in front of her body, angled across it in a defensive stance.

"We don't have to be doing this Arianna." Serephia said, her tone level, "This problem can be fixed."

"I'm sorry..." the Hollow said, grinning sadistically, "Arianna isn't available right now. Maybe you can try again later...unless I kill you." Its grin grew.

"I'm appealing to the girl I know, the one who's body you possess demon. The innocent soul that has been forced to this life because of you." All eyes turned to look at her.

"I saw what happened because of you, I saw her fear at what she was becoming, at what you were making her do." She paused, blue eyes full of anger at what stood before her, "You changed her. You played on her anger, on her fear and used it to your advantage. Enough that she relies on you to save her." The new 5th squad captain locked eyes with the Hollow, "What do you have to say to that?"

It laughed, it's eerie, inhuman laughter echoing in the clearing.

"What do I have to say?" it replied, "What do you have to say on that yourself? About how **you** were responsible?" Surprise flickered on Serephia's face. But then the mood turned serious again.

"But that can wait. Maybe you can tell her that yourself." It drew Arianna's zanpakto back, "If you survive." It shot it towards her again, but she was ready.

Leaping over it again, she deflected the attacks and once she landed on the ground she sprung into action, drawing her second zanpakto from her back and running towards the Hollow. Both swords blocked the attacks that came at her, gaining ground slowly. A growl came from the Hollow at the ineffectiveness of its attacks against the new 5th squad captain, but making it angry just made its attacks faster as it became desperate to hit her. And that's when it made its mistake. With a roar it sent Arianna's zanpakto flying right towards Serephia, it's blade gleaming in the half light. Leaping over it, Serephia dodged it easily, and once her feet hit the ground, she jumped up again and over the head of the Hollow.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, right before she struck, both her zanpaktos slicing diagonally across the Hollow's back, Arianna's back, making an X. All in the seconds that her enemy's zanpakto was withdrawing to be sent back at her. The Hollow stood still for a moment, disbelief in her yellow eyes, before they returned to silver and the mask dropped from its host's face. Her zanpakto clattered to the ground, seconds before she collapsed beside it, blood pouring from the wounds on her back. Fatigue and her latest injury had taken its toll on her and she was now out for the count. Serephia sheathed both her zanpaktos, her blue eyes looking down at Arianna.

"It is done." she said softly, before looking up at her fellow captains, present in the area.

"We need to summon the others, to tell them that its over. Then we'll bring her back to Soul Society and deal with her there. Once she's been healed. Captain Fong?"

"Of course." Soi Fong said, spite evident in her voice, "_Captain_ Yulrik." She then disappeared to tell the other captains.

"Spoil sport." Kenpachi muttered to Yachiru, "She could have at least let me have a go..." The pink haired lieutenant looked at her captain.

"Don't worry Ken-chan, there'll be others." she said, "And she wouldn't have stood up to you long either..."

"I guess ya have a point Yachiru." He glanced over at Ichigo, who was standing still looking at Arianna.

'_Unlike you Ichigo Kurosaki...'_

She'd done it. Another thing to add to her guilty conscience. But the girl had to be stopped. She'd either had to disable her or be killed by that thing that resided within her. Simple enough. A plain black and white problem. Yet it didn't stop her feeling guilty. The Hollow had said that she too had been responsible for Arianna leaving Soul Society and yet she had no idea of what she could have done. Maybe if she'd acted when she saw the signs in her former 3rd seat that she was in trouble, she could have helped the girl. Maybe she could have stopped her from trusting that _thing_ like she did now. But she had her own inaction to blame.

'_And yet, now I act, when it's too late for her...' _Sheathing both her zanpaktos, she sighed.

It was over. It was done. That's all she had to think about now. Mind on the present, not the past.

Ichigo knelt beside Arianna's prone form, knowing she was not dead, but unconscious. Fighting had taken a lot out of the girl, each fight having followed the previous one in succession. She'd been thoroughly worn out when her Hollow had faced Captain Yulrik (he wouldn't even think of saying her first name), which is how she managed to win so easily. He hated to think of what would happen now. There was little he could do anyway. It would just endanger himself, and her. He was always so protective of others, even those he shouldn't protect, like her. And yet, he felt obligated to, but had no idea why. Was it because she seemed so lost, so alone with only her Hollow for company? Or was it simply because of that fact, that they were the same. That they both had a little voice in the back of their minds, whispering to them, wanting to control them, although hers had more control over her then his did.

His mind drifted, thinking on this alone. Enough that he didn't notice the other captains arrive, until they were taking her away. And as he looked up, he caught the blue eyes of the new fifth squad captain and scowled, his amber eyes dark. Arianna's Hollow had said that she had had a part in Arianna fleeing from Soul Society. Something he'd never get to ask her about. His mouth moved, wanting to say something, but whatever it had been was lost and he watched the captain's leave. He heard Rukia, (who was now fully conscious) come to stand beside him.

"Alls well that ends well." She said, smugly. He ignored her, and started heading back home. The eerie laughter echoing inside his mind did nothing to ease his discomfort.

He had to help her. That much he knew. Because like it or not, they were the same. Sarokai Arianna and Kurosaki Ichigo were the same. Different people that shared the same problem. And he'd do what he could to help her with it. But he had to get her away from Soul Society first...

**Some Random: Well, chappie four's done. The mystery deepens...what did Serephia have to do with anything? At the present, I'm not sure even she knows herself...(grins) but we will find out eventually! But if Ichi wants to help Arianna, he has to save her from Soul Society...aka another daring rescue...well, not quite. But that must wait till the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews from those that did and pretty please keep reviewing. To those that haven't, review! That's all from me. Some Random out. -**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN – Bleach, any movies/TV shows/books/songs etc used in this...**

**I DO OWN – My OC's and more of the plot then I originally thought...yes! I don't even think it follows any of the storyline of Bleach with the Aizen crud (after he leaves Soul Society etc) at all! Maybe a little bit...but I'm not sure...If it does...let me know...**

**Chapter Five - Heaven's Own Private Hell...**

Mayuri rubbed his hands in glee. His new subject would be arriving from the living world soon and he couldn't wait to begin his experiments. And on such a fragile and young specimen, he couldn't help but find delight in thinking over her reactions to his procedures. She'd walk into the lab, still restrained and those silver eyes of hers wide with fear in seeing the instruments he had lying about. Oh yes, her fear would be something he was looking forward to. Maybe she'd even scream for him...he laughed and rubbed his hands together again. This was going to be interesting.

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Restrained, Arianna was escorted from the prison complex and towards the 12th division building. Her eyes scanned the scenery that went past, as she considered the hopelessness of her situation. She was trying desperately to stay calm, to keep the thought of Kurotsuchi Mayuri and his experiments sent a shiver down her spine, especially at the thought of him trying to touch her, which made her sick even to think of those hands on her. She shuddered at the thought and tried to move her mind of the subject. But it was difficult, as that horror was approaching, as her and her captors made their way inside the 12th division building and headed for the research labs. She looked around herself, looking for even the smallest hope of escape, but seeing none, she knew things were hopeless.

_'There's no getting out of this one this time...All I can try now is to get past Mayuri and then get out of here...'_

Her heart pounded in her chest as her fear escalated as they entered the research labs and she saw the back of the 12th division captain, standing in front of a bench. He turned around, and grinned when he saw her flinch at the sight of him.

"Leave us." He said to her guards and she watched them leave. Leave her to her doom.

The doors clicked shut and Mayuri looked at her.

"Now it's just you and me my dear." He said, still grinning, "Just how it should be."

"I don't know what your planning Captain Mayuri. But if I die, then so be it." She said, mustering all the courage she could. Mayuri laughed.

"Such brave words for someone that is anything but brave." He paused, walking towards her and she tried not to flinch away, "You're terrified. I can see it in your eyes." His hand touched her cheek and she recoiled at the touch, trying to stop herself from shaking.

"There's no need to be scared Sarokai-san. I only want to find out what makes you what you are. Is that so bad?"

"No one knows. How do you know you'll be the one to find out?" Her voice shook a little, knowing she was trapped with this maniac. She'd heard of the experiments he'd preformed on his Quincy subjects, discovering what made them tick. All ended up dead. Just like many of his other research subjects and she did not wish to join them. There had to be a way out, there just had to be. **Wasn't there?**

And yet that looked like a hopeless plan, something that was stupid to hope in, because as far as she could tell...she wasn't sure she was gonna get out of this alive...

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"Now, I'd like to introduce you to a little something I've made, just for you." Mayuri said, and she squinted in the bright light in her face. Her body ached, from his previous experimentations, which so far hadn't done anything fatal to her. Yet. She wasn't sure that would apply to what was next.

"I feel so special." She said, her sarcasm marred by fear. Mayuri laughed and she flinched.

"Such spirit." She recoiled as he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her over to the contraption he had just been talking about.

"Now I bet you're wondering what it does..."

"Not particularly." But obviously her response was irrelevant, because he went on into the description anyway.

"It is quite possible that I, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, have discovered a way to separate the Hollow inside a soul from the soul itself!" At those words, her eyes went wide. At that second, she did not care what would happen to her, she just wanted out. Now. She wrenched her arm free from his grasp and began running for the door, before two burly attendants caught her by the arms and dragged her back, kicking and screaming. They strapped her to the upright metal plate on the machine, tight enough so she could not escape. Hovering around her was strange looking devices which she had no name for, and a thin band was strapped to her forehead. Her hands balled into fists and her eyes narrowed, eyeing Mayuri with malice.

"The things Soul Society let you get away with these days." She hissed, "It seems things have changed since I was last here."

"In a way child, in a way." He cackled, "But you've been away for such a long time."

"And what a homecoming this is." Her arms strained against the straps, yet she knew it was no use. She was as good as dead. This device would do nothing but kill her, for she was certain it would fail, that her Hollow could not be separated from her. She was as good as dead.

"This won't work." She said, "You cannot simply separate a Hollow from the soul it inhabits. It's simply not done." Mayuri walked over to a nearby lever, next to the machine.

"Before this moment, yes. But nobody has ever tried it, so they **say** it doesn't work." Mayuri paused, hand hovering near the lever, "But that's what we're here to find out, no?" She opened her mouth, a smart reply ready, but then in that same second, he pulled the lever and all that came out was a scream. What felt like electric currents ran through her body, from the devices around her, the ones she hadn't known what they had been for. But now she knew. The pain was excruciating, and her screams echoed in the almost empty room. Certainly someone would hear her, and come to her aid...

The current stopped and she slumped in her restraints. No, no one would come. Because they knew what was happening, yet they were turning a blind eye. Nobody would save her this time, not even Kurosaki. She was amazed that she thought of the human shinigami now, at this moment. Maybe she could have gotten to know him better, if none of this had happened.

'_If I'd just been a normal shinigami...not one who hears voices...' _she thought, knowing precisely what had gotten her into this mess in the first place.

"_Oh puleze...just blame me for everything..." _A bored voice in the back of her mind said, which she knew was her Hollow.

"If you hadn't existed, none of this would have happened." She muttered angrily.

"_True...but there's no need to be angry at me...the only one you can blame for that is yourself..."_

The word "What?" was right on the tip of her tongue, before the machine was active and she was screaming again, as the currents ripped through her, assaulting her weak body with their deadly power.

"_What's this?" _ She couldn't answer, her teeth gritted together, as she tried to keep herself from screaming. Her hands which were still balled into fists were clenched tighter then she could have ever imagined, and she could feel her nails digging deeply into her palms, drawing blood. She bit down hard on her bottom lip. Screaming was surrender, if there was something she was going to do before dying was not to make him enjoy this. Her eyes screwed shut, trying to shut out the pain that tore through her thin frame. And then it stopped and she pretty much collapsed in her restraints, breathing heavily.

"Hmmm..." she heard Mayuri say, "It's not working."

"Told you." She croaked. He smiled that creepy smile of his and he wandered over to fiddle with a few dials on the machine.

"I know why. It needs to be set differently." He said, as he worked, "The power needs to be increased for starters, and...there we go." She looked at him, feeling weak and worn out.

"Ready to go again?"

'_Of course not.' _She glared at him in response, although that action brought pain. In fact, her entire body ached. She was not ready to go through that again, nor did she want to. But there was no choice. The lever slammed down again and she resumed her former position. However, it was much harder, as the power levels being thrown into her body were stronger and her mouth opened, releasing screams that had been suppressed for so long. Her vision clouded with tears. This was it. She was going to die here, at the hands of this madman. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a ghostly shape forming, yet she couldn't think straight from the pain. Its mouth moved, and she heard the words in her mind, for it hadn't quite merged into their reality yet.

"_What the hell is going on?" _ It's head turned and she recognised the face. It was her own, with yellow eyes surrounded by an empty blackness where the whites of the eyes should be, and skin that was deathly pale. Her mouth moved, unable to speak to it, even though she'd done so for so long.

"Excellent." Mayuri said with glee, "But it appears it's not fully here yet. More power." She stared into those yellow eyes, on the reflection of her own face and another scream ripped free from her as the pain and current running through her increased. A hopeless scream, of a girl who would surely die.

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His head perked at the sound of the scream, much to the confusion of those standing beside him.

"What?" Rukia replied.

"Can't you hear that?" he said.

"Yes. And I don't want to." Orihime shuddered.

"It sounds horrible." She said, "I don't want to even think of what that is or where it's coming from."

"The Twelfth Division research labs." Yoruichi cut in helpfully, "And you're right. **Don't** go there. Mayuri isn't someone good to be around." Orihime shuddered again, this time at the memory of the twelfth division captain, who had confronted her and Ishida when the group went to rescue Kuchiki-san.

"It's nothing to be trifled with." Yoruichi said, her voice breaking the silence that had followed her last sentence, "Let's move on. The others are waiting. We didn't come here to stand around." Ichigo stood for a moment, his gaze staring in the direction of the scream. Something tugged at the back of his mind, it sounded familiar in a sense to him, but he couldn't think where.

"I'll catch up." He said roughly. Yoruichi rolled her eyes, an unusual thing for a cat to do, not to mention remarkable.

"Don't be long." She said, "They wanted to see **you** remember?"

"I remember." He replied mechanically. He heard them move on, leaving him behind, before he closed his eyes. And that's when he sensed it. Almost covered by Mayuri's, was the familiar reitsu of the girl he hadn't saved.

"Arianna." He said quietly, and all at once, he recognised the scream he'd heard. It had been hers. Without a second thought, he shunpo'd in the direction of the twelfth division research labs. If he couldn't save her from them taking her, then he'd protect her from that bastard Mayuri. He shuddered to think at what he was doing to her, and it only made him move faster, desperate to be at her side. He'd gotten used to his new protectiveness to the Hollow shinigami, in the days she'd been gone. She'd become part of his life now, and it was one part that he wasn't going to let slip through his fingers.

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Mayuri rubbed his hands together with glee as the ghostly figure of the Hollow side of the girl became more and more visible, ignoring the screams from the girl herself. That was irrelevant. Soon, he would have gotten what he'd wanted for so long. Imagine the research he could gather from both of them! All those possibilities awaited him from this moment. He couldn't believe his luck.

However, his happiness turned to bitter disappointment when he heard the crash of one of the windows breaking and a blur of orange and black burst into the room.

"Kurosaki." He hissed. Definitely **not** who he wanted to see right now.

'_Kurosaki?' _That thought rang in her mind and she lifted her head slowly, without the energy to scream anymore. No, she was hallucinating. It wasn't him standing there opposite Mayuri, his zanpakto shrouded in bandages at his back, glaring at the twelfth division captain. It was just a figment of her imagination. And yet he seemed so real, unravelling the bandages around his zanpakto...what was it called again. Zangetsu. Moon cutter.

"_You're not hallucinating..." _The voice she knew so well of her other side said to her, it's ghostly mouth moving, _"He's standing there, like you can see. Like I can see, from you and from here."_

'_He's real?'_

"As real as the nose on your face." This time the voice wasn't from her head, it was outside. The ghostly image looked more solid, and yet she felt weaker, barely able to move.

"Let her go Mayuri." Ichigo said, his voice low with anger.

"I'm afraid not Kurosaki. My experiment needs to be completed." He waved his hand towards the contraption in the room, "Isn't it wonderful?" Ichigo looked at Arianna, hanging weakly in the restraints that held her to the machine, strange red lightning coursing from the conductors around her. To her left...was something he couldn't believe he was seeing.

"We meet again Kurosaki." It said, with her voice, yet only an echo of the real thing. The real voice of the monster inside her.

"What kind of sick experiment is this?" he said.

"Separating the Hollow from the host." Mayuri said proudly, "It seems to be going perfectly."

"You're killing her!"

"Minor inconvenience. She'll be right once it's finished." Ichigo's eyes narrowed, full of anger. He freed Zangetsu from the bandages around it and pointed it towards Mayuri.

"I won't ask again." His voice was rough, almost like a growl, "**Let her go.**"

"No. I'm not letting such a fine specimen go. Beside, **you** don't know how to turn off the machine." He grinned, "So you need me." Ichigo growled.

Arianna looked at him, feeling weak and helpless. No energy left to move, or to speak, to tell him how to turn it off. Her attempts stopped dead when she looked at his amber eyes. Except they weren't amber...but yellow. She felt confused. What was going on here? He wasn't...like her...was he?

The Hollow glanced back and forth between the two standing opposite herself and the girl. Mayuri, Kurosaki, Mayuri and back to Kurosaki again.

'_This could get ugly.' _She thought to herself, and was suddenly intrigued by the flashes of yellow she saw in the boy's amber eyes.

'_Well, well, well...seems our __**friend**__ has been keeping secrets...of course, I'd never actually class him in that category...she would though...' _She glanced at the girl to her right, almost passing out in her restraints, and then over to the machine, then to her hands, which were no longer see through.

'_Cannot have one without the other...' _she mused, still absorbed in looking at her hands. The girl faded as she materialised. She saw no use for the girl anymore, if this worked. But what then? She had no zanpakto, apart from the girl's. She could use kidou, but that wouldn't work all the time. She scowled. Maybe she could take the girl's zanpakto and still use it. They were the same person, right? No, it wouldn't work. It only responded to the girl, not her. It only had because she was inside the girl. Her scowl deepened.

'_My first chance at real freedom and it sucks...' _She sighed, _'Guess I'll have to do something to help...which also sucks...' _She looked at the machine again. The lever, Mayuri had used that to activate the machine. A crazed grin came to the Hollow's pale face. Boy would love to see the look on the man's face when his plan was foiled.

'_At least I'll get some enjoyment out of this...Maybe helping will be worth __**something**__...'_ Her hand reached to the lever, and when she felt the cool metal against her hand, she pulled it up.

Mayuri looked at Ichigo, feeling smug. Up until he heard the current stop pulsing from the conductors and the machine grind to a halt.

"What?" he exclaimed, "That wasn't supposed to happen!" An eerie laugh echoed and his eyes were drawn to the pale figure to the right of the girl, her hand curled around the lever.

"I'm sorry. The look on your face is just..._priceless_." She said, a crazed grin on her face. His surprise turned to anger.

"You...you..." he growled but it just laughed at him again.

"The girl cannot exist without me as I can't without her...as much as I **hate** to admit it." It scowled, but then its expression brightened in amusement, "You've failed." It grinned again and he was beginning to hate the thing.

"Why you little bitc..." he began to say, drawing his zanpakto and approaching the grinning and laughing Hollow of the Hollow shinigami when...Ichigo unceremoniously whacked him over the head with the end of Zangetsu's hilt.

"Don't mess with her again." He snarled, and the Hollow watched curiously as his eyes flickered from amber to yellow and back to amber.

"Interesting." She said, before looking over at the girl and then back at herself.

"Why am I still here? Shouldn't I have gone back to her now?" She groaned, "Don't tell me that we have to reverse this thing!" Arianna lifted her head weakly, looking at the more solid shape of her Hollow. Her mouth moved, trying to speak, but she was too weak. The Hollow pursed her lips, her hands on her hips. Ichigo had to admit it looked amusing to see the thing do that...at how normal it looked. And then it glared at him with those angry yellow eyes and he heard his own laughing at him in his head, and quite possibly at the look on her face.

The Hollow then took a cautious step forward, and once she was sure she could actually walk around, her attention went straight to the machine.

"Maybe you shouldn't have knocked him out." She mused, tilting her head to the left as she looked over the machinery. Ichigo scowled.

"Maybe you should have thought things over more, before **you** turned the thing off."

"What is this? Blame the Hollow side day?" she replied, scowling.

"_It could be..." _His own Hollow side hissed, before changing its mind, _"On second thought...don't you even think about that Ichigo!"_

Ichigo smirked, before he realised that Arianna's Hollow was looking at him.

"What's so funny?" she said, "This is serious. If we don't figure this out quick, well, there might not be much left of the girl." Ichigo scowled again at her mention of Arianna, referring to her only as "the girl".

"She has a name."

"And her name is my name, so it's pointless." She scoffed, before turning her attention back to the machine.

"Now I think I may have figured this thing out." He raised an eyebrow, "So if I just change things right here." She twisted a knob on a panel on the machine, "That should do it. I think."

"You think?"  
"We don't really have time to go over this in major detail. As far as I know, if you pull that lever again, it will reverse the process, hopefully with no pain on my side..."

'_But not hers hey?' _he thought angrily, looking at Arianna. The Hollow stepped back where it had slowly materialised before.

"Go ahead. Pull the lever. I'd do it, but then again, I'm the one disappearing back to her, so that might not be the best thing to do." Ichigo curled his hands around the lever, hesitating.

'_This will either kill her or save her...let's hope it's the later...' _And he pulled the lever.

Instead of what before had been like red lightning coursing from the conductors, this time it was blue and the Hollow side standing on the metal circle to the right of Arianna began to fade.

"See, I..." The rest he could not hear, even though her mouth still formed the words, which now only Arianna could hear.

"_...told you so. Damn it..." _And then she was gone, fading away to nothing. He quickly went to Arianna, and began loosening her restraints.

"It's alright..." he said quietly, "You're safe now." She just looked up into his eyes, which were filled with concern. Why did he feel concerned? She didn't deserve concern, after what she'd done to him over the past few days. Sure she was in pain, and half dead, but still she did not feel worthy. After all that had happened. Once she was freed from the restraints, she collapsed into his arms, feeling so weak she could barely move. Not to mention keep conscious for long. She looked up into those amber eyes again, sure that she had been hallucinating when she'd seen them turn yellow.

"Ichigo..." she said. Not his last name, but his first. And then her world disappeared into blackness.

"Arianna." He said quietly, but she didn't respond.

"Arianna?" He looked down at her, seeing her lying unconscious in his arms.

"Shit." He got to his feet, holding her securely in his arms.

'_I have to get her to the Fourth Division.' _He spared one last glance at Mayuri, lying unconscious on the ground nearby.

'_You'll get your just deserves for this...not now...later...' _And then he jumped through the broken window he'd arrived into the room from and shunpo'd off in the direction of the Fourth Division building. He held her prone form tight against him, not wanting to lose her. They were the same, they shared the same problem, and he wanted to know how she handled it. How she lived with that voice. How she let it take her over. He'd never know the answers to the thousands of questions he was dying to ask, some of which she may not even know the answers to, if she died.

'_Would her Hollow taking control help save her? No, of course not. Mayuri's machine has nearly destroyed her, there's nothing that thing could do...'_

Her reitsu was weak, slowly fading as she slipped away. He pushed on, going faster then he would have ever imagined. And yet, part of him wondered why, why he protected her so. Was it really because of the answers he sought? Was it really the need for the company of another like him, who shared the pain of having something that could control them at any moment? Or was it something else?

"_It'd be a shame to lose her Ichigo. She was pretty one." _His Hollow hissed, _"So run Ichigo...run, run, run as fast as you can..."_

He gritted his teeth, shutting the voice out, as it taunted him that he was too late.

'_Keep it together...'_

He spared a quick glance down at her prone form in his arms.

'_Just hold on Arianna...just hold on damn it...'_

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Everything was dark, until she opened her eyes slowly and it was brighter. Not much brighter, but better then the blackness she'd been wallowing in before. She was lying on the ground, and grass tickled her cheek. Sitting up slowly, she looked around her, wondering where she now was. Looking around she could see nothing but a meadow and a breeze blew past her, rustling the grass. Was she dead? Was there another plane above Soul Society, and was this it?

"This isn't totally weird..."she muttered sarcastically.

"I thought you might say that." A voice came from her right, and she turned, recognising it. It was the voice that had often echoed in her mind, that spoke to her, the voice of the darker part of her soul.

"You." She said, looking into the yellow eyes of her Hollow side as it turned its head to face her.

"Nice welcome. Is that all I get?" it said, rolling its eyes, "Show a _little_ decency."

"Sorry." She got to her feet, everything feeling strange all of a sudden. What was it doing here? Actually really there instead of a ghost? And why the hell was she apologising to it?

"What is this place?" she asked the question she'd been dying to have answered the moment she'd woken up.

"The inner plane of your mind." The answer was not what she had been expecting, and she didn't believe its words for a second.

"That's impossible."  
"Well, considering the fact that you're...we're currently out of it, you're only conscious here, not out there." She pointed to the sky, where a ghostly vision of buildings racing past played.

"That." Her Hollow said, still pointing at the vision, "Is what's going on outside. That Kurosaki kid is rushing you off to the Fourth Division as we speak." It turned its head, looking away.

"Pointless. You're as good as dead. Mayuri saw to that."

'_I never knew it was so pessimistic.'_

"You can't say that."

"I just did okay?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest and turned her back to her Hollow. Nothing was making sense, especially coming from it. Although if this was her own mind, that would explain the creepy projection in the sky. But her mind couldn't be such a calm place could it? With that thing being part of her soul, wouldn't it be a little more...dark? A little more complex, cluttered and depressing? Shaking her head, she tried to clear her head. She needed to think clearly about all of this.

She was about to ask another question that she then thought of but then a tremor forced her to fall down onto the ground. Luckily she managed to put her hands out to stop her falling completely. But that failed as another tremor came and she was knocked onto her arse in the grass.

"What the hell?" she said feeling confused, "What's happening?"

"It's beginning." Her Hollow said, its expression still neutral.

"What's beginning?"

"You're dying, so your mind is dying." It didn't take her long to process **that** information. She scrambled to her feet as another tremor occurred, and she fell as she did so, but was on her feet again soon after.

"Look." She turned and noticed what her Hollow was looking at. A crack had appeared in the part of the meadow ahead of her and her Hollow. The tremors were coming from there, as it got larger crumbling the area around it. Another tremor came, but this time she managed to stay on her feet. Cracks spread from the larger one, which was becoming more like a hole. And they were headed right for her. Moving out of the way quickly, she just managed to avoid joining the area where she'd previously been standing as it crumbled and fell into the abyss.

"Crumbling away as its owner dies...as you die." Her Hollow said, with that same bluntness, "The abyss will swallow everything and when it does..." It turned its head towards her, those yellow eyes staring out at her from beneath strands of black hair. Her black hair.

"You die." Arianna was silent, staring into those yellow eyes. Staring at her almost own mirror image in the face. And then she turned away, looking at the abyss forming in front of them.

"Fuck that." She said. Her Hollow raised an eyebrow, not having heard her host swear like that before.

"There's nothing you can do."

"You said that when everything crumbles or is destroyed or whatever, I die, right?" Arianna paused, looking at the abyss again, "If that thing doesn't get me, I don't die. If there's something left, I'm not dead."

"It only delays the inevitable."  
"Since when were you so fucking pessimistic?" the girl snapped, "I don't give a damn about inevitable. I thought you of all people wouldn't want me to die..."

"Arianna..."

"Bite me." The girl said and took off, running in the opposite direction of the widening abyss.

"Besides..." she shouted back, "I die, you die, right? Seems like the right incentive to keep me alive I think." It looked at the abyss, and then at Arianna's retreating back, before it ran off after her.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Ichigo shunpo'd as fast as he could through the numerous corridors of Soul Society.

'_Why does the damn Fourth Division have to be this far away from the Twelfth?'_ he thought angrily. He was so focused on getting there, that he didn't even notice his friends as he ran past them.

"What?" Rukia said as she saw the blur that was him go past, "What was that?"

"I think..." Yoruichi said, "...that was Ichigo."

"Ichigo? What's that idiot doing?"

"Running. Well, using shunpo actually."

"Why?"

"Who knows. But it looks like he's headed for the Fourth Division."

"Why would he need to go there?" Orihime mused, "Maybe we should follow him."

"But the meeting..." Rukia protested.

"I'm curious about what Kurosaki is doing myself." Ishida said, "Whatever has possessed him to be in such a hurry like that, it must be important." Chad nodded, silent agreeing with him.

"He knew we had this meeting to go to. What's more important than that?"

"Something definitely."

"No." Yoruichi said, taking in properly what she'd seen. The others looked at her.

"Not something. Some**one**."

"Who?" But that question was pointless, and from Rukia's angry look, they knew for certain.

"Sarokai-san." Orihime said quietly, voicing the name they were all thinking of.

"What's he doing with her anyway?" snapped Rukia, "If I remember correctly, she was taken to the Twelfth Division."

"Come to think of it, he did come from that direction." Yoruichi replied, "Which means..."  
"He took her from there." Ishida finished her sentence.

"Yes." Yoruichi sighed.

'_Can't stop yourself from being the hero can you Ichigo?'_ she thought.

"That girl's nothing but trouble. I don't see why he bothered." Rukia complained, "But then again, that's just like Ichigo. Stubborn idiot."

'_Then why did he decide to rescue you then? You were just as much trouble...'_

"Anyway, screw Ichigo. Leave him to tend to that Hollow shinigami." Rukia turned her back and began walking again, "It's his problem. Not ours."

"Right." Ishida said, following soon after her. The others followed silently.

'_Kurosaki-kun, why is Sarokai-san so important?'_ Orihime thought, feeling confused. What had compelled Kurosaki-kun? Why couldn't he let Soul Society handle it? Although she didn't agree with them handing the girl over to Mayuri, for what the man was capable of, it was their decision.

'_But then again, it was their decision to execute Kuchiki-san and we saved her...Oh, this isn't making any sense...'_ It would be better for her not to think about it anymore, from what little sense thinking about it was making.

'_You just watch yourself Kurosaki-kun, okay?'_

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

She kept running, knowing full well the consequences of stopping. Her Hollow ran just in front of her, her only advantage of starting off first gone now that it had overtaken her. She knew what had compelled it to start running, not to stand there and be so depressing about their fate. Her death threatened its existence, and that was something it was willing to fight for. She'd guessed that that would also be the only thing it would be willing to fight for. No morals, no ties to anyone except herself but even that was a strictly "Hollow-host" relationship. It cared for little other then itself, the only other being herself, for without her it wouldn't exist. That often made her angry, when she was in a particularly bad mood with it, but most times she put up with it. But right now, she relied upon staying alive more then anything. To stay away from that abyss forming behind them, swallowing everything up into its dark, endless depths. She almost tripped as a slender crack split through the ground at her feet, but she avoided it and kept running. She glanced quickly at the strange screen in the sky, showing the outside world. Maybe, if there was a way to speak to Ichigo from here, she could tell him what was going on and to get her to the Fourth Division a lot faster.

'_He's probably trying to do that anyway, you idiot. What would telling him to hurry up do? He's going as fast as he can…' _The meadow around her seemed darker, the grass dying off and the sky turning an eerie black-red colour. The ground beneath the grass itself was blackened, as dead looking as the grass was becoming, the brown strands pushing up feebly from the earth.

"And to think it looked nice before…" she muttered.

"Stop thinking about the scenery, you baka." Her Hollow snapped, "It's us you should be worrying about. Things will be fine if you survive this."

'_How did I not see that coming?'_ she thought, scowling. It didn't have to be so…so like itself about it. Okay, that may have been the best description, but still it wouldn't have made sense to anyone else but herself.

"You didn't have to be so...so…"

"Just shut the hell up and run okay?" It snapped back, clearly not in the mood for discussing the subject. Arianna opened her mouth to say something in response but the death glare sent her way made her stop. Now was not the time to get on her Hollow's bad side, there wasn't the time for that. That was probably why it had put up with her for so long, instead of just losing its temper with her. It. While technically it was a **her**, she always referred to her other side as it. Because **it** was **her** and she even now didn't want to think about that too much. So she just kept her head down and kept running, ignoring the fact that the screen in the sky flickered, lost focus slowly and then disappeared. She just didn't want to think about it.

But her thoughts were still caught up on that enough not to see her Hollow stop running, until she actually looked to find it. Looking back, she saw it standing still behind her as she kept running and then...it smirked.

'_What?'_ she thought and then looked in front of her. What she saw made her come to a stop as fast as possible. Another abyss, forming right in front of her. Looking back in her Hollow's direction, she saw the one they'd been running from still where it had been the whole time.

'_No...no...this can't be happening!!'_ She turned, in the motions of running away from the precarious edge of the second abyss when the ground collapsed underneath her. Her hands reached for the edge, luckily grabbing hold of it to stop her falling.

"You knew this was happening!" she shouted to her Hollow, still standing a few metres away from this abyss.

"Well, I noticed it before you did, but that's as far as my knowledge of it goes." It replied, its voice still carrying no concern. Why did she expect it to? It was out for its own gain, and she was nothing but a body to it. A body to use so it could exist in reality.

"Get your arse over here and get me outta this damn hole!" she shouted at it, frustrated both at it for not warning her and at her herself for not seeing this coming. Or what came next.

"Why? You said that for you not to die, something had to survive. You never really clarified that it was both of us."

"You self righteous, ego-centric, mother fucking bitch!" she paused, "Why did I not see this one coming!"

"Oh that ones easy to answer." She looked up to see it standing near the edge she hung onto.

"You're just a naïve fool. And those sorts of people never this stuff coming." The smirk was still there.

"So I guess...this is goodbye..." Her mouth opened to snap something back but she felt the ground crumble beneath her fingers, and with nothing left to hold onto, she tumbled into the abyss.

"You haven't seen the last of me!" she screamed up towards it as she fell. Its mouth moved but she was too far down to hear what it said, and it slowly disappeared, as blackness surrounded her.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Ichigo skidded when taking the corner in one of the winding hallways inside the Fourth Division building, but that didn't slow him down. In fact, he almost ran into the Fourth Division lieutenant as he rushed through.

"Kurosaki?" Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu said, seeing nothing much more then an orange and black blur as the boy rushed past her almost knocking her over, "Kurosaki Ichigo?" She saw him stop a short distance from her and he looked over his shoulder to see who had called his name. Seeing her, it appeared something clicked in his head as he ran over to her, carrying something in his arms.

"Kurosaki, what's happened?" her curiosity had gotten the best of her, knowing that he'd been in a hurry for a reason, but what that reason was she did not know. Well, until she took a closer look at what he held in his arms. Her eyes widened at what it was and it was not what she'd been expecting.

"Sarokai-san?" The girl lay limp in his arms, looking half dead. And her reitsu was fading...fast.

"Get your captain. Now." The boy almost ordered, but she didn't care enough to point out she outranked him. She just ran for her captain's office, not before giving the Kurosaki boy directions to the nearest healing room.

"Captain Unohana!"

Unohana looked up from her paperwork to see her lieutenant standing in the doorway, looking like she'd run all the way to her office.

"What is it Lieutenant Kotetsu?" she said, calmly (as always).

"It's...Sarokai-san..." Isane said, catching her breath at the same time.

"Yes?"  
"Kurosaki-san just brought her in." Isane had recovered by now, "I don't know what Captain Kurotsuchi did to her, but the girl looks half dead. And...I estimate that if nothing is done the girl could..." she didn't even finish her sentence as her captain brushed past her, on her way to see the girl.

"Then we better hurry Lieutenant Kotetsu."

"Yes Captain." Isane said, and then ran to catch up to her captain.

Meanwhile, Ichigo was lying Arianna down on the bed in the healing room. And then he felt her reitsu disappear.

"Oh shit." He cursed before yelling, "Somebody get here now!!"

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

She fell through the darkness of the bottomless abyss. Every now and then, something would flash around her, drawing her attention. She guessed what she was seeing were probably flashes of her life, starting from the present and going backwards. At least that's how it appeared to be going, for she saw her talking to Ichigo and Kuchiki in Ichigo's house before she saw her fighting him as her Hollow which had happened the day before. Her progress slowed and she floated downwards instead of fell which was inevitably better compared to the alternative. She looked down for a moment, seeing nothing but darkness until light opened up beneath her. Before she could do anything, she fell through it and everything became so bright that she closed her eyes. She felt her feet touch solid ground before she tumbled forward onto it. Opening her eyes, she looked around herself, surprised at her surroundings. Soul Society, the 5th squad's complex to be precise.

"Sarokai-san!" A voice she recognised as Hinamori's came from behind her and she turned to see her lieutenant running towards her.

"Lieutenant Hinamori." She said and took a step forward. Yet the girl kept running.

"Hinamori-san." She said again, waiting for her to stop. But she didn't. Instead, Hinamori passed straight through her. Arianna's eyes went wide as she experienced that strange feeling of her superior passing through her like she was ghost. What was going on? Turning around, she was surprised to see...herself?

"Hin...Hina...Lieutenant." she heard herself stutter, standing straight to attention.

"Relax silly." Hinamori replied, "The captain's not around so it's okay."

"As you say Lieutenant Hinamori." She rolled her eyes at herself the same time Hinamori sighed. However, she'd finally worked out what was going on. This moment was one that had happened years ago, when she was still officially the third seat of the fifth squad. Captain Serephia had only been Captain for a short time, having progressed from third seat herself. Before then, Arianna had been the fourth seat of the squad. That had been back when Aizen had been Captain. Serephia had bypassed Hinamori for the title of Captain once he'd disappeared, beating her when the two fought for the title. She herself had risen to third seat, taking Serephia's place and Hinamori had remained as Lieutenant.

She had fallen into one of her memories, of a time long gone. That was the only explanation for this. She was seeing one her memories, when things hadn't gotten out of hand. But when she saw herself wince and glance away from Hinamori, she knew that it was only just beginning. And she could only watch.

"Sarokai-san are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She heard herself snap and saw Hinamori jump at her harsh tone of voice. Another wince.

"I gotta go." She watched herself leave, running away from Hinamori as fast as she could. And she knew why. Because she'd done the exact same thing. And even though she knew what happened next, she could not help but follow herself. Her double stopped what she remembered to be one of the arenas in Soul Society where...

"Aw crap..." she cursed. Today was **that** day. The day she fought to defend her place as third seat, almost massacring her opponent. The day she used her Hollow to help her fight which was the day of her biggest mistake. She ran into the building, paying no attention to anyone around her. They were nothing but ghosts, a memory of who they were. She passed through them as she ran, ignoring the strange feeling of doing so that flooded her body. She was paying so little concern to her surroundings that she didn't notice the railing until she ran into it and promptly fell over it into the arena. Falling three stories down into the arena. Luckily, no injuries but a great deal of pain and discomfort. Looking up, she saw herself dressed in her dark shinigami robes, standing opposite her opponent. She could feel the reitsu from both her double and her double's opponent not to mention her double's fear. Both drew their zanpaktos but she couldn't move yet.

"Kill, Shi Hebi." Her double's opponent said, releasing his zanpakto, which even seeing it again froze her to the spot. The jagged black blade, the curved like a scimitar. Twice the size of Moeagatteimasu Hebi and as intimidating to her as it was to her double. She saw her double swallow before stretching her arm out to make a right angle to her body.

"Strike, Moeagatteimasu Hebi." She heard the shaking voice say and in a burst of flame her own zanpaktos shikai form materialised.

"Kidou may be used against your opponent, but bankai releases, if known, are prohibited. We do not wish you to kill each other. Just battle it out until there is a clear winner." The judge of the fight said, standing on his podium, shouting it down to the two fighters. Her double's opponent nodded curtly as her double swallowed again, gripping the hilt of her zanpakto as she nodded herself.

"Let the battle commence."

Her opening move was the shoot Moeagatteimasu Hebi towards her opponent, which he dodged before he came charging towards her. Curving the blade back between them, she stopped his charge and sent him back as it connected with his zanpakto with enough force to do so. The rest of the fight was a blur, she wasn't paying much attention to the details of it. Until her double's opponent had the upper hand, with no chance of losing it. He'd beat her back, making her lose her zanpakto and she was crouched a short distance from him, shaking like a leaf. She'd never been the best at kidou, which was the only thing she could rely on until she reached her zanpakto. But she knew what else was going on. About the hissing voice she knew her double was hearing now, telling her that it could help her win. That's when she moved, running towards her double's zanpakto. She wanted to stop this. If she never used her Hollow, then she wouldn't have had to have run from Soul Society, none of this would have happened. She reached her double's zanpakto and took a brief second to test that she could actually touch it. Then she kicked it towards her double, who was still crouched down with her opponent moving closer, ready to attack. She saw the pale hand of her double grab the hilt of her zanpakto and exhilaration flooded through her. She'd done it. She'd ended how things had turned out. She...was forced to her knees as a sudden strong burst of reitsu flooded the room and her exhilaration faded in seconds as the dark hair of her double fell away from her face and she saw that familiar grin.

"NO!!" she screamed to her double, "No, no no no!! I stopped you...I stopped you...I...I..." She charged towards herself as it was going through the motions of sending her zanpakto at her opponent. And then it turned, sending it towards her instead. It hit her straight in the chest and sent her flying back...and back into the dark abyss. She watched the memory fade, seeing herself as her Hollow curve Moeagatteimasu Hebi around to attack her opponent before it disappeared.

And then light flashed again as the force of the blow that sent her back out made her float into another memory and she landed on the ground roughly on her arse. And then a child passed through her and she was struck with the feeling of being ghosted through, frozen to the spot. Recovering, she then turned her head at the sound of children laughing and felt her eyes widen at what she saw. Or in this case who. A dark haired young girl with bright silver eyes was balancing along a plank of wood placed on two flat rocks near the river. Another child, a young boy with brutally short cut dark hair, was standing near her. She knew who both of them were, especially the girl.

"You dumbass, you'll just fall into the river and then Mama will get mad." The boy said. The girl just poked her tongue out at him.

"Mama's not my real mama. So she can't boss me around."

"Arianna..."  
"Oh quiet spoil sport. Besides, I'm not gonna fall."

"Yes you are."

"Ikkaku, only dumbass boys fall off this. Girls have more balance."

"Oh really?" The boy smirked, "Unless…"

"Unless?" Her big silver eyes widened, "You wouldn't." Arianna smiled gently as she watched a younger Madarame Ikkaku push a younger version of herself into the river, falling in himself in the process. She watched the two of them laugh, remembering those times. It was before his hair had been shaved off, even though it had been cut so brutally short all the time anyway, it wasn't much difference. They'd been friends for ages, growing up in the same Rukongai district, the same family group, even going off to the Shinigami Academy together. He'd been like an older brother, to replace the one she'd lost in the living world. When she'd first arrived, she'd always wanted to find her real brother, but had had no luck, so Ikkaku had been her substitute. When she reached the Shinigami Academy, she got to know Hinamori, and through her, Abarai and Izuru. Ikkaku didn't spend time with her when she was with the other three; he'd said he'd prefer to train himself. It had been no wonder he'd ended up in the eleventh division, so focused on fighting. And that stupid lucky dance. **That one** had been around since childhood.

But what was the point of all this remembering? Was she trying to torment herself with things that had long passed, making her remember what it was like before she made that stupid decision? She watched the two kids run off, wishing just to leave this memory...and die already. It was too much for her heart to take.

"Is this what you wanna say?" she shouted at the sky, "To remind me of that stupid mistake I made? To make me see my past and know that my future is screwed? Is that it? IS THAT IT HUH? SO MUCH FOR FAIR PLAY GOD!!" She fell to her knees on the ground, her head bowed with her hair making a curtain for her face. She felt the tears before she even realised she was crying and when she did, she cried harder, her whole body shaking with her sobs. Was this her penance for what she'd done? Was she already dead and this was her hell where she'd spend eternity?

"_Arianna..." _She heard the ghostly voice talking to her, but ignored it, certain she was just hallucinating his voice.

"_Arianna...please wake up...please..."_ The voice was pleading, begging her to wake up. But could she wake up? Or was his voice just another hallucination of her own private hell?

"_I need you..." _That sentence made her look up, as if expecting to see his face. But why was _she_ so hopeful? And why did she care so much that he was talking to her? Maybe it was because he seemed to be the only one to understand her, even though he wasn't like her. Unless her earlier hallucination of him with yellow eyes hadn't been a hallucination at all and Ichigo Kurosaki was hiding something. Was that why he needed her? He needed her help? But how could she help him, even with something like that?

"What the hell is going on!" she screamed at the perfect blue sky, her eyes still clouded with tears.

"Am I going mad or is something else going on here that I cannot see? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!!"

"_Arianna...she just fucking moved okay, I know she's alive...Arianna, can you hear? Listen, you gotta wake up...you just gotta okay...damn it..."_

"Is everything alright miss?" Another more real sounding voice came from close by, and she turned to see the two children from before standing near her. The girl looked concerned, but the boy seemed to be annoyed.

"There's nothing there. You're imagining things." he said, pointing at her.

"No, she's really there Ikkaku, you just can't see her." the girl said to her companion, then in a quiet voice added, "Only I can." Arianna's eyes widened. That explained how she was able to be attacked by her Hollow form in the other memory and pick up her zanpakto. The only one she existed to was...herself.

"Look Mama gonna hit the roof if we don't get home soon." the younger Ikkaku said, nudging her younger double, who was still looking at her.

"She looks just like me." the girl whispered, enthralled by her future reflection.

"Now you're really goin' crazy." he sighed, "I'm going. Catch up when you're ready, kay?" The girl nodded and then the boy left leaving the two alone.

The little girl walked over to her, only a little taller then herself currently kneeling.

"You were shoutin' stuff before. Are you mad at someone?" The girl said, looking at her with those big childish silver eyes. Those innocent eyes on such a naïve person, who had no idea what inner darkness she contained in that tiny frame. She looked away, unable to even talk to herself. She felt one of those tiny hands on her face, holding it gently.

"No need to cry. It's going to be okay."

'_How do you know? You're not even dying yet...you're not even a shinigami yet, or even know of that stupid Hollow side of yours...ours. You know nothing...so how can you say it's alright?'_

She looked at her younger double.

"You just need to wake up." the girl said.

"What?" was all she could say, before the girl pushed...actually pushed her backwards and she back into the darkness once again, seeing her skip off home.

'_What had just happened?' _She felt so confused.

"_You just need to wake up...please..." _His voice again and that's when things appeared to make sense. She'd just imagined what he'd said as the girl, herself at a younger age, saying it to her. She curled up into a ball as she floated in the darkness, still falling. She witnessed a flash what looked like a young girl, almost identical the one she'd just seen except in different clothes and a little younger cowering behind a larger boy, with a grim expression on his face, go past. She looked away, that was one of her memories from the living world, her last one. Of her older brother protecting her before those men that had invaded their home had killed him and then her as she'd tried to run away.

"_She's long gone Kurosaki...I think..."_

"_Shut up!"_

"_As you say..."_

The first voice that time had been Captain Unohana, so she guessed she was in the Fourth Division building now. Obviously having been healed by her and Lieutenant Kotetsu. So maybe that was it. She just had to wake up and it would all be over. She'd wake up and have to face life and that horrible fate again. No thanks, she'd stay where she was thankyou very much. She hadn't been falling for some time now, floating very slowly but still downwards. Probably in a coma and not actually dying as much as before.

"_Unohana said before that talking to you might do something, so I'm gonna talk like it or not."_

'_Talk away...doesn't mean I have to listen...' _But she did anyway.

"_I...I have a secret. One nobody knows about."_

'_We all have secrets boy.'_

"_I know what you'd be saying right now, or could guess. Gosh I feel like an idiot, talking to a comatose .girl."_

So she right about being in a coma. Maybe she could stay that way without dying? The darkness felt so comforting...

"_There's a little voice that whispers, no hisses to me in my head. I know you also have that little voice."_

'_What?' _What was this now?

"_Uh God...how am I gonna say this? Gotta be careful no one hears me though..."_

'_Duh...'_

She heard him sigh and guessed he was probably running a hand through that unruly spiky orange hair of his.

"_You're not the only shinigami with a Hollow side. I have one too."_

'_What now?'_

"_I've told no one cause I know what'll they think. What they'll do. The exact same thing they did with you."_

'_No wonder he was so opposed to me being captured and sent here...'_

"_You're the first I've told cause well..." _a pause, and she guessed he was probably thinking his words over.

"_You know what its like. And...and, geez...maybe you can help me. Well, not that exactly. But tell me how you deal with it, how you cope. How you keep control of it. God, I've really screwed this up."_

'_You haven't...it's not something you can say easily.' _Now if only she could say that in person. But then again, he was probably only telling her because she **was** comatose.

"_So, you gotta wake up okay? For me? Maybe not for me, but just wake up."_

It was sorely tempting. But did she want to face all that again? Maybe she would...for him. Even that thought made her blush, like any ordinary girl would. Geez...first time she'd _really_ considered boys...okay not that first but the first for a long time...

But how could she wake up from here? It seemed like a nearly impossible thing to do.

And that's when she hit solid ground roughly, which winded her for a short while. Once she'd recovered, she got to her feet, and prodded the "ground", cause everything was still black, with one of them. It seemed solid, but for how long? She didn't trust things like this anymore. And then she squinted as a bright light appeared to her left. Shielding her eyes, she looked at it more closely. It was like a hole of light in the ever present darkness and she took a step towards. And all at once, the "ground" beneath her trembled and outside all hell broke loose.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Everything had been fine one moment, before the current pandemonium. She'd been lying there, still as ever, with him sitting near her, consequently holding her hand in his. That's when he'd noticed her pulse start fading, the same time elsewhere Lieutenant Kotetsu had noticed the fading of reitsu and raced to see what was going on. Apparently Arianna was slipping from her coma, going the opposite direction to the one they wanted. Did she really want to die so badly? He had to know. Hands pushed him out of the way yet his gaze was still frozen on her pale face, her eyes closed.

'_Just wake up...that's all I asked of you...that's all I ask you of you now...'_

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

She felt the "ground" begin to collapse beneath her and there was only one thing she could do. Run. Run like hell towards that bright circle of light, which seemed to be further away then it had been moments before. The "ground" crumbled away as she ran, almost tripping over every now and then from a tremor caused from the collapsing "ground". And then as she neared the light, the ground titled, the surface she was running on now diagonal instead of horizontal and it kept tilting. She just kept running, now once again determined to make it, not to die, not to be swallowed up in the darkness for good.

When she reached the light it titled again, becoming vertical, so there was now nothing beneath her. She felt her body falling but she stretched her arm out, her hand reaching for the light. And by pure luck she grabbed something, something solid to hold onto. The light became brighter, enough that she could no longer see but inside, she knew she'd won. She'd beaten death.

Take that you mother fuckers.

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

The pandemonium increased when her heart stopped and they frantically tried to restart it. He just kept praying, praying she'd make it. And then, it seemed his prayers were answered because just then her eyes flew open.

**Some Random: She's alive!! Sorry folks, gotta stop it there, otherwise it'd get waaaay too long. Hopefully the length of this one wasn't too much and Arianna's battle with death and visiting her memories wasn't too corny...or Ichigo's ooc ness. I had to put in the "What is this? Blame the Hollow side day?" thing in, it was too tempting. And Ichigo's convo with Arianna's Hollow, had to be done. Anyway, thankyou to those that reviewed this story, I appreciate it heaps and pretty please keep reviewing. To those that haven't and are either a)too lazy to b) some other reason of theirs that makes them read without reviewing...please review! That's all from me at the moment, more will be on the way as soon as I can write it. Ciao for now peeps! Some Random out.**

**Note: For those that don't know Ciao is Italian for goodbye...I'm pretty sure**


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